Danny Deckchair | ||||
Jeff Balsmeyer Rhys Ifans, Miranda Otto, Justine Clarke, Rhys Muldoon, John Batchelor, Alan Flower, Jules Sobotta 2003 |
Lighter than air. Metaphorically and literally, that's the essence of the, um, flighty Australian romantic comedy "Danny Deckchair," about a man who actually takes to the skies after attaching helium-filled balloons to his lawn chair. As frothy and optimistic as can be, it's a date movie that tries a little too hard but is carried by the winning ways of leads Rhys Ifans ("Notting Hill") and Miranda Otto ("Lord of the Rings") and a supporting cast that plays it broad. The film, written and directed by Jeff Balsmeyer, is a quirky little trifle, but it's purportedly based on a true story. In Balsmeyer's take, Danny Morgan (Ifans) is a Sydney cement-truck driver belittled by his girlfriend Trudy (Justine Clarke) and dissatisfied by his life. Things are so bad that Danny does the helium-balloons-on-the-lawn-chair trick to stave off boredom during a backyard barbecue, and soars into the heavens. The winds take him far from the city, resulting in a national "Where's Danny?" furor. A thunderstorm drops Danny in the middle of a small town, where he makes the acquaintance of parking-control officer Glenda (Otto), is smitten with her and begins to reinvent himself. Back in Sydney, publicity-hungry Trudy uses Danny's disappearance to gain celebrity. But the nation is determined to find out what happened to the man who just flew away. If you are too, it couldn't hurt to watch "Danny Deckchair." | |||
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