Jucy

2011 sees a whole new crop of terrific Australian films like RED DOG, THE CUP, EYE OF THE STORM , and now this utterly hilarious spin on female friendship called JUCY after the two main characters. It is a strong contender for one of the most endearing and flat out funny buddy female films since CONNIE AND CARLA or MURIEL'S WEDDING. Two girls who are best friends each go for the same role in a calamitous local theater production of JANE EYRE. However, and hilariously, they rent the 1934 Monogram Pictures poverty row DVD version and scope that out for performance ideas. The local theater scene in perfectly represented by egomaniac and deluded types and even a reasonably handsome male lead. But it is the overall good nature of the film and the survival of the friendship and the very insightful set design and art direction that lifts JUCY above it's modest production budget. Filmed in Brisbane and with a simply charming sense of who they are and what the film is, JUCY will have smart teens and theater twenty-somethings rolling about as they recognize their own selves and friends depicted so neatly on the screen. I really like this film a lot for not being stupid and for being a straightforward intelligent girl comedy about something other than the usual clichés. JUCY is great fun... and even has a brief musical number to top it all off.