BAD EGGS
Australia, 2003, 98 minutes, Colour.
Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin, Judith Lucy, Alan Brough, Bill Hunter, Marshall Napier, Steven Vidler, Nicholas Bell, Shaun Micaleff, Robyn Nevin, Dennis Moore.
Directed by Tony Martin.
Bad Eggs is an entertaining comedy, Melbourne and Victorian comedy with reference to politics and the police at the beginning of the 21st century.
It was written and directed by comedian, originally from New Zealand, Tony Martin.
Mick Molloy and Bob Franklin had successful comedy careers, especially in television. The same is true of Judith Lucy. The supporting cast has a number of strong character actors – including Shaun Micaleff, who had written many comedy productions, wrote a number of television crime films and had great success with political satire, Mad as Hell. There is also a very humorous turn from Robyn Nevin.
The film starts with some ridicule of police who are accused of being bad eggs. However, despite their moments of dumb and dumber, they eventually work out what was happening, unmask a political conspiracy led by the Premier, Shaun Micaleff, who is hypocritical and leads the Family First party, and is in league with the police chief, played with his effective bumptiousness by Bill Hunter. Nicholas Bell is also good as his sinister associate.
There are a lot of humorous turns on the characterisation but also in the verbal comedy and the range of satire and spoof.
1. An Australian comedy, comics style and characters?
2. The Melbourne settings, landmarks, police officers, parliament, streets, homes? Victoria and the early 21st century?
3. The title, the reference to types to spoil situations? For the police? The irony of who was hero and who was villain?
4. The Australian humour, characters, dialogue and wit, satire, and the parallels with actual characters?
5. Mike and Ben, the slapstick opening, the car, the dead man, going downhill, through the more, the raffle car, the police shooting, the man dead already? And the collage of Tribune articles denouncing Mike and Ben?
6. Mike and Ben as characters, dumb – yet? Mike and his wife, the relationship, the jokes about Tantric sex? Ben, relationship with Julie, memories of the past? The special squad instituted by the Premier to attack corruption? Years of work? The Gillespie and his responsibilities, tolerant of Mike and Ben, but being killed? And the jokes about Mike and his accident on Most Wanted? Ben, the work, the role of the Premier? Ted Pratt as the boss? Political and financial corruption in the state?
7. The situation, the casino owner, gambling interests, payments to the politicians, the role of the Premier, the irony of his campaign of Family First? Ted Pratt, in hospital, out, his special squad, Wicks as his special adviser and hitman? The investigation? Wicks and his shooting the officer and Doug Gillespie? The framing, the pursuit?
8. Julie, the background, the arrest, her career, the flashbacks and the training, the relationship with Ben? Suspicions, being held? With Ben and Mike, the connections? The truth? Her being taken, held as hostage?
9. The dead man’s wife, Mike and Ben, the interrogation, the fire, the destruction of her house? The headlines? Making contact, her decision, the phone call and her dramatic performance?
10. Mike and Ben, the setup, the taping of Wicks? Getting out of the house, Wicks and the blowing up of the house? The car pursuit?
11. Mike and Ben, disguise, going to parliament, accosting the Premier, the accusations, giving him the grenade, getting out, the encounter with the casino lobbyist, going to the Calder Highway, the two bands, the buildup to the confrontation, the exchange of Julie and the Premier, the sign on the Premier, Julie getting the gun and reversing the situation?
12. Everybody arrested? The Tribune and the condemnation of Ben, now making him the hero?
13. The aftermath, Mike and his wife, Julie and Ben dancing?
14. Australian humour, the blend of the real, the ironic, the spoof?
