THE NUT FARM

Australia, 2023, 91 minutes, Colour.

Arj Barker, Jonno Roberts, Madeleine West, Tiriel Mora, Roy Billing, Gyton Grantley, Steph Tisdell, Annie Byron, Dave Eastgate, JJ Pantano, Danny Faifai, Tracy Lee Maxwell, Brad McMurray.

Directed by Scott Corfield.

Intentionally, the title seems to be indicating some kind of mental establishment. While there are some quite strange goings-on, an absurd character or two, or three, the title actually refers to a property in the remote small Australian town of Cobweb, a macadamia farm.

This is a small Australian film, often tongue in cheek, happy to send up American innocents abroad, a jibe or three at some New Zealanders, and a range of local characters who populate Australian television series, especially the comedies

Our central character is an American, Brendan Brandon, played by comedian Arj Barker, who seems to be a cryptocurrency expert in San Francisco, giving self-satisfied speeches to admiring crowds, but then falling on hard times. We have already seen an old man seemingly prospecting, finding a manhole and going down – and disappearing. He is Mitch and his friend, Harry, phones Brendan to say he has inherited Mitch’s macadamia farm. What on earth does Brendan know about farms or macadamias? Answer, of course, nothing.

Brendan flies to Australia, picked up from the plane by Esme who runs the local pub (incorporating all shops, the diner, the bar…), Looking for all the world like a Dame Edna caricature. Harry is played by Tiriel Mora in his very sad sack style. There are various characters in the town, including old Dazza who spends time at the bar, Sgt Blake, who has all kinds of jobs in Cobweb from policing to delivering the mail (and enjoyable performance from Steph Tisdale), the enterprising Farmer Dee who tells of an avocado farmer who has disappeared. He helps Brendan with the macadamia trees and cultivation – and then disappears.

What is Brendan to make of all of this? Especially when Harry tells him that he has to produce 20,000 tons of macadamia nuts to finally inherit!

Meanwhile, we look below the surface, a fracking enterprise which disturbs the locals and has disturbed Mitch. In the tunnels there is a mad scientist, Zoran (New Zealand actor Jonno Roberts), with a very efficient, office -like assistant and two miners digging in the trenches). It is finally revealed what Zoran is up to – an attempt to assist New Zealand economy!

Since this is also a light comedy, there had better be a bit of romance. There is the enterprising farmer, Kim, who is attracted to Brendan (some of the audience perhaps not entirely sure why), and her rather precocious young son.

When Brendan fails by a couple of kilos to meet his quota, he goes prospecting and uncovers Zoran’s mad enterprise.

And, happy ending, Brendan seeing sense, of course, and staying in Australia with Kim and her son and the macadamia nuts – and all the new friends in Cobweb!

1. The title? Literal macadamia nuts? The overtones of nutty – nutty comedy?
2. The opening in San Francisco, the world of crypto currency, speeches and customers? The contrast with Australia, the town of Cobweb, the farm, the landscapes, the tunnel? The Australian feel? The sending up of Americans? The musical score?
3. Mitch, old man, seeming to be prospecting, the search, his disappearance down the hall? Bequeathing his farm who Brendan? The others disappearing, the avocado farmer, later Farmer D?
4. The audience seeing the sore arm, his assistant, the miners, his manic behaviour, going to the shop, Has a as a spy, theatrical? His aim, gas for New Zealand? The issue of fracking?
5. Brendan, age, character, success, his well collapsing, the phone call from Australia, his arrival, landing, the small town, airport, is made turning up, looking like Dame Edna Everage?
6. Harry, friendship with Mitch, the phone call to Brendan, meeting him, the farm, the property, the house? The claws of having to farm 20,000 tons of macadamia nuts?
7. Sgt Blake, her variety of jobs, changing personality with each job? The irony of the bar, the various sections and the various shops, stores, eating places?
8. Kim, hard work, her son, precocious, the attraction to Brendan, the possibility of a relationship?
9. Brendan, the house, getting used to Australia, Farmer D and the information about the macadamia nuts, tending them, his work?
10. Just falling short of the quota? The legal consequences?
11. Brendan, exploring, finding the trapdoor, going down, discovering the captives?
12. The buildup to the confrontation, the audience having seen the miners and their interactions with the locals, Zorro and his assistant, her efficiency? The technical know-how, the fracking? Leading to the explosion? Brendan, deciding to stay, the relationship with Kim, her son?
13. A small piece of Australian owner?