Three British lads on holidays in Australia for a wedding face a dilemma that would put a damper on any getaway. One of the groomsmen has died (after a drunken romp through the Australian outback, it seems), and now the two remaining groomsmen and the groom, the dead bloke’s three best mates, make it their mission to bring his body back to London, if only to avoid the wrath of said dead bloke’s cousin Henry, who’s five beers short of a six-pack. Except things don’t quite go to plan, and what was meant to be a simple plane trip back to the UK turns into a mammoth trek – lugging a dead body across Australia’s wildest landscapes.
And so begins A Few Less Men, a crazy, sometimes preposterous, consistently non-sensical, follow up to 2011’s also deliberately goofy flick, A Few Best Men. Both films were written by Dean Craig, whose writing credits also appear on the brilliant Death at a Funeral (both the US and the UK versions).
It seems the same thread of ridiculousness follows through these films. In A Few Less Men, the storyline feels like a cross between Weekend At Bernie’s and The Hangover (the original, better one, not the crap that came after). We’re left wondering, at least in the first few scenes, if this is just more of the same we’ve already been treated to in other films. The first cab off the rank is a boner gag, which feels formulaic and sophomoric.
Having said that though, there are a few comedic elements that kind of land in the sweet spot, and it’s helped by the strong relationship between the three main characters, David (Xavier Samuel), Tom (Kris Marshall) and Graham (Kevin Bishop).
Kris Marshall is known for his comedic chops, having appeared in UK sitcom My Family, as Colin (God of Sex, who makes his way to America and ends up in a naked sleeping situation with 3 American girls on a cold Wisconsin night) in Love, Actually and memorably in the UK version of Death at a Funeral. Marshall sits easily in his role Tom, the man-child reluctant to grow up.
Similarly, Kevin Bishop as Graham, the loveable loser of the trio, plays his role well. The audience is on Graham’s side throughout the film, in the same way that you’re kind of on Zach Galifinakis’ side when he was played Alan, the loyal chum singing about this three best friends. Graham isn’t that stupid, however, but he shares the same innocence and naïveté as Alan.
Between Tom and Graham is David, the straight man to Kris and Graham’s irresponsibility. Xavier Samuel plays him smoothly, and it’s through Tom that you see just how crazy their predicaments are.
You can’t claim A Few Less Men to be anything but cinematic farce, in the same vein that the French do in cinema so well. Whilst at times it doesn’t quite feel as funny as the film would like us to believe it is, it’s actually the smaller moments that might bring chuckles, rather than the big, elaborate jokes and setups. A gigantic golden penis is yes, an undoubtedly odd thing to see in the middle of nowhere, but some might find this joke too obvious and on the nose. A crazed man dressing as his mother was done to gain laughs, but it’s more the fact that’s he’s actually burly and rugged that tips this into laugh territory. Aussie Ryan Corr as angry Cousin Henry really goes for it in this film, and he does it so well it’s hard to fault. In terms of small moments making a big impact, a standout plot point was the man with the ute, agreeing to help the boys track down their dead friend’s body after they mistakenly pack it onto the back of the wrong truck. His minor lines but subtle humour was so endearing.
It’s nice to see some well-known and well-loved Australian names (aside from Samuel and Corr) in the film’s supporting roles. Sacha Horler, Deborah Mailman, Shane Jacobson, Lynette Curran and Jeremy Sims all appear to assist in the production. Shane Jacobson’s tip of the hat to a Norman Bates-type and Jeremy Sims as an irate pilot do well here, but Lynette Curran takes the cake as Maureen, a sexual beast only too happy to show hapless Graham the time of his life.
What’s interesting about A Few Less Men is the way Australia is perceived through British sensibilities. Australia is wild and dangerous. Its people are a bit off kilter. Its animals and wildlife even more so. Australia’s women are carefree (much to Tom’s delight), and Australian men are uncouth. All this was done for comedic effect, but it’s interesting to see it done so unashamedly here.
But this was all needed to allow David, Tom and Graham to traipse all over the outback and finally to Perth and have their adventures. If anything, A Few Less Men is a boy’s own adventure, where they ultimately discover truths about their friendships and the nature of growing up and becoming men. They test each other’s mettle throughout the film, forcing them to discover things about each other they otherwise would not have known. Even up to the final scenes of the film, the three are still pissing each other off, but unquestioningly as loyal as ever to each other.
A Few Less Men doesn’t quite hit the laughs out of the park, but its heart is in the right place, and there are some truly playful moments that will bring out chuckles from the audience. It’s a fun and entertaining film, somewhat conventional in its comedy, but certainly not without its sharp and spirited scenes.
Review Score: TWO AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
A Few Less Men is in cinemas now.
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