TL;DR – This is a profoundly Australian film, and in that I mean more its structure than the narrative. But once it gets going, you can’t help but get caught up in the charm, because it has it in spades.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to see this film.

Kangaroo Review Introduction –

While Australia is known as a place where big-budget films come to film, where you can walk down the street of Brisbane one day and suddenly it is New York for Thor. However, we also have a vibrant domestic film culture, or we do at the moment, looking at you politicians not doing enough to support the local industry. However, there are times when you could tell a film is Australian, even if no sound of an accent passed your ears, and today’s film is a good example of this.  

So, to set the scene, Chris Masterman (Ryan Corr) is the local weather reporter for Channel 6’s Rise and Shine Australia. He wants to be more than the person they cut to in the morning when they need someone to get a bucket of water thrown at them. But no one takes him seriously. Well, Chris is going to change that when the opportunity to go viral presents itself. Unfortunately, it blows up so spectacularly in his face that not only is he not up for promotion, but he is fired and put on the instant reject list for every production team in Sydney and beyond. He has one shot to get his career back on track, and that is to drive to Broome and do some regional work. But when his car accidentally hits a kangaroo on the outskirts of Silver Gum, he is stuck in the small town waiting for his car to be fixed, but also looking after a now orphaned joey with the help of Charlie (Lily Whiteley).

Cast

One of the first things you see from the start of the film is just how stacked it is with talent. You’re telling me we get a movie with both Deborah Mailman, Rachel House, and Brooke Satchwell in it at the same time. I had a joke with myself that the only person missing was Ernie Dingo, only for him to turn up in a tow truck in literally the next scene. You need these actors who can play the big moments because they must be able to go big with their performances, but not so big that it moves into farce. It is a balance that is hard to pull off, but they make it work. Also, it is just lovely to watch Ryan Corr, Deborah Mailman, Rachel House, Wayne Blair, and Rarriwuy Hick play off each other.

Ryan Corr has to do a lot of the heavy lifting here, which is made more difficult by the fact that he is representing a real person, Chris’ Brolga’ Barns. While they do heavily fictionalise how Chris ends up looking after joeys, the core motivation to help is still there. Thankfully, Ryan throws all of himself into this role and shows that the NIDA-Pratt fall department is still the best in the business. Lily Whiteley has to reach some difficult emotional places for where the story needs her to be, and they would be difficult actors with a lot more experience. But when she is running with the kangaroos, you can feel that connection.    

Characters 

At the heart of the narrative is the redemptive powers of the bush to strip away your facades. The embodiment of this is Chris Masterman, who, to put it bluntly, starts this film off being a bit of a wanker. You will know where his journey is heading from the first couple of minutes, and seeing the worst hands-free headset known to humanity. His first introduction to Silver Gum might be the only time the film does crash headlong into a farce. However, even when you see the gears moving, you can still feel the charm in every frame. But all three of the main cast go through a similar journey throughout, finding their direction in a world that has changed around them.

However, it is a strength of a film like this that you get to surround your leads with a colourful assortment of characters that are just a delight whenever they show up. I loved Murray (Roy Billing), always with another colourful drink in his hand, helping the local school children cheat on their homework. Jesse (Rachel House), the gun-toting publican of the local hotel that hates pets, until she loves them. Or Ralph (Wayne Blair), who unfortunately lives in an almost permanent state of foot-in-mouth syndrome. They are what help make the town feel real and bring you along in the story.      

Production

To start with, I think this might be some of the best digital kangaroos that I have seen in the cinema. While I believe all or most of the joeys were real, for safety reasons, it would have been impossible to use adult kangaroos in the situations they needed here. This is also a good opportunity to warn people that kangaroos can and will mess you up if you get too close; observe from a safe distance. The town of Silver Gum is a charming location, more like the idealised version of a country town, rather than maybe the reality. It does feel like a composite of locations at times, but you can forgive that in a film like this. If nothing else, this is a film that shows you just how incredible the sunsets in the Red Centre are, because nothing really compares.    

Conclusion

In the end, do we recommend Kangaroo? While parts of it did feel forced, you will know how the story will go right from the beginning. However, I can’t understate just how charming this film is and how it will hit you in the emotions when it is ready to do so. Have you watched Kangaroo? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked Kangaroo, we would recommend Runt to you because it is also an Australian film about finding connection through the vehicle of an adorable animal while living in the bush.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Kangaroo
Directed by – Kate Woods
Screenplay by – Harry Cripps & Melina Marchetta
Music by – Matteo Zingales & Josie Mann
Cinematography by – Kieran Fowler
Edited by – Chris Plummer
Production/Distribution Companies – Cultivator Films Australia, Bunya Productions, Brindle Films, Screen Australia, Screen NSW, Screen Territory & StudioCanal
Starring – Ryan Corr, Lily Whiteley, Deborah Mailman, Rachel House, Wayne Blair, Trisha Morton-Thomas, Brooke Satchwell, Ernie Dingo, Roy Billing, Rarriwuy Hick, Yalyal Hick, Emily Taheny, Rick Donald, Clarence Ryan, Rob Carlton, Geneviève Lemon, Lily Whiteley, Ryan Clark, Lene Clarsen Walters, Charlotte Walters, Warren H Williams & Phoenix Cunningham
Rating  – Australia: PG;