I paid for feedback from TMFF The Monthly Film Festival for Loonatoona. Here it is:
"turns it up to eleven"
"more bizarre than it should have been"
"the strange tone and bizarre story"
"highly intellectual without seeming so"
"incredibly original"
"unreal but hilarious elements"
"The script is creative"
"kind of confusing and definitely weird"
"Loonatoona – TMFF Feedback
Loonatoona is a slapstick comedy exploring the natural outlandish qualities Australia seems to have when viewed from the outside and turns it up to eleven by adding even more bizarre elements to build a general sense of surrealism that makes it easier to be open minded and receptive to the jokes in the script.
The story seems to take the concept too far and becomes more bizarre than it should have been, particularly since the more ridiculous the story gets the harder it is for it to deliver its message, which seems to be one of tolerance based on the fact that normality is nothing but a perception that can change from person to person and region to region, the script basically shows the daily struggles of the 5 members of a “regular” Australian family as they deal with problems that seem alien to us but normal to them, like the father working in a government subsidized rabbit costume dispensary, the mother having an affair with a possibly imaginary cowboy or their daughter nonchalantly engaging in a personal project that consists of taking pictures of her friend´s sexual escapades. The script has a serious flaw though; the comedic style is simplistic and more geared towards children or very young people, but the tone is undeniably adult, with swearing, nudity and adult situations abounding, which brings up the question: will the script manage to entertain its intended target? It remains to be seen but in general is not bad, only that perhaps the author should rethink the way in which the comedic payload is delivered.
It is quite hard to judge the characters since they are very strange and flawed but they seem to be so on purpose not only for comedic value but also as a way to drive home the general message of the story. They usually find themselves in surreal situations, often by their own hand, and deal with them in even more alien ways. They aren´t incredibly annoying or upsetting but it´s also impossible to build any rapport with them.
The dialogue is highly localized with many phrases being typical to the Australian speech and is also full of references to sayings, products, legends and other elements familiar to Australians but not for the general audience. Saying that is badly written would be an injustice, but it has to be mentioned that is highly alienating and can get difficult to understand for anyone not familiar with the “aussie” speech.
Producing a comedy like this one is a risky business given the strange tone and bizarre story the script is telling, and the fact that the humor is mainly based on exploiting the ridiculousness of the situations in which the characters find themselves, this is a typical slapstick comedy that still finds it possible to remain highly intellectual without seeming so. Thus having a lot of value hidden under the guise of a generic script, such a complicated outlook makes it hard to predict its actual commerciality.
The script is incredibly original even if some of the humor is highly referential and depends on the audience having knowledge about certain other movies and literary sources. Those references are tweaked enough to make them fairly unique and to adapt them into the script.
Through the lens of intergalactic observance and the inclusion of some unreal but hilarious elements the author shows what seems to be an outlandish family and the equally shocking country where they live, delivering a simple but effective message; normality is all but an illusion, morality is a social construct and the values that some may hold as essential may be optional for others. It is a message about understanding one another and realizing that simply because something feels strange doesn´t mean it´s bad.
The script is creative and the humor may be enough to elicit laughter out of many, but the overall plot is kind of confusing and definitely weird. It is one of those comedies where people need to turn their brains off and embrace the bizarre imagery in order to enjoy it."
"The story seems to take the concept too far and becomes more bizarre than it should have been"
ReplyDeleteThat's impossible. Surrealism can never go too far.
"the comedic style is simplistic and more geared towards children or very young people, but the tone is undeniably adult"
One could accuse Monty Python, Rocky Horror, Airplane and Beetlejuice of a similar mature/childish synthesis. They found an audience. A big audience.
This is a film about a family, so will no doubt be seen by families.
There needs to be content entertaining to children, not just adults.
And every adult has an "inner child" who also enjoys silly nonsense (if they let themselves).
The "adult" content is self-censored, never being explicit, so will go over the heads of children.
"It is quite hard to judge the characters since they are very strange and flawed but they seem to be so on purpose not only for comedic value but also as a way to drive home the general message of the story... They aren't incredibly annoying or upsetting but it's also impossible to build any rapport with them."
Real people are "strange and flawed".
You don't need to "judge" them. That's also the message.
Impossible to build rapport? Perhaps you are expecting characters that are overtly likeable or unlikable, and they are neither. They're "real" people, living their life, not trying to be likeable.
"Can get difficult to understand for anyone not familiar with the “aussie” speech."
To paraphrase Frank N. Furter: "I didn't make it for you!"
This is for Australians. But anyone else can learn, if they really, really want to.
"Producing a comedy like this one is a risky business given the strange tone and bizarre story... such a complicated outlook makes it hard to predict its actual commerciality."
Feedback from others has also questioned the "commerciality" of this strange, complex story.
I think in a post-Pulp Fiction, post-Inception world, audiences are more willing to take risks than studios presume they are.
People want to be challenged a little, not spoon-fed tame patronising one-size-fits-all schlock.
This is not a film you watch once, say "Mmm, nice", then never see it again.
It's complexity is not an impediment to commercial success, but the *reason* for it.
It rewards repeat viewings, so the fans will buy multiple tickets at the cinema. Then the DVD or Blu-ray. Because they *need* to see it many times, to take it all in. There should be no problem making a profit.
"The script is incredibly original even if some of the humor is highly referential... Those references are tweaked enough to make them fairly unique and to adapt them into the script."
I can't believe I wrote the whole thing!
"simply because something feels strange doesn't mean it's bad."
Or won't sell.
"the overall plot is kind of confusing and definitely weird"
Just why its fans will love it!
"people need to turn their brains off and embrace the bizarre imagery in order to enjoy it."
How can you be "highly intellectual" with your brain turned off?
The reason Loonatoona will be loved is precisely because it transcends simplistic dualistic compartmentalisations.
You *can* be clever and silly, adult and child, real and unreal, familiar and strange, all at once.