by Erin Free
Worth: $19.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
David Wenham, Arlo Green, David Field, Gary Sweet, David Roberts, Bob Franklin, Helen Thomson, Pallavi Sharda
Intro:
Hilarious, inventive, savvily plotted, and truly heartwarming in often very surprising ways, Spit is not only a genuinely worthy follow-up to a terrific film, but also a terrific film in its own right.
Like its leading character – hilarious layabout wastrel crim Johnny “Spit” Spitieri, unforgettably played by David Wenham and first introduced to audiences in the cracking 2003 crime comedy Gettin’ Square – the new film that bears his name, Spit, is totally up against it. It’s a sequel (of sorts), and we don’t see many of those in Australia; it’s a belated sequel, no less, and they have often proven to be a very dicey proposition; and it’s taking a supporting character and putting them into the lead role, which is another move that doesn’t always play well. Thankfully, however, Spit gleefully pushes its way through these obvious concerns and shambles out the other side as an absolute winner. Hilarious, inventive, savvily plotted, and truly heartwarming in often very surprising ways, Spit is not only a genuinely worthy follow-up to a terrific film, but also a terrific film in its own right.
It’s been over twenty years since we’ve seen Johnny “Spit” Spitieri, and he’s still a mess. Sure, he’s off the gear, but Johnny is just as shambolic, disarming and gloriously confused as ever. After being believed dead by the authorities after the heist that closed out Gettin’ Square, Johnny has been in London selling unauthorised Disney merchandise, but after getting busted, he’s back on home turf. After a very confusing brush with border security, Johnny soon finds himself in a detention centre for illegal immigrants, where he sticks out like a very Aussie sore thumb. Non-judgemental and accepting of all, however, the shambling Johnny soon has a new crew of racially diverse friends after being pressed into teaching English to his fellow detainees. Though things are kinda looking up for Johnny, his return to Australia has also raised the ire of the corrupt cop (David Field), the vicious drug dealer (Gary Sweet), and the hapless, buttoned-down fed (David Roberts) that he screwed over in Gettin’ Square.
With a superb screenplay by returning lawyer-turned-screenwriter Chris Nyst that crackles and pops with great wit, inventiveness and compassion, and energetic, spot-on direction from return helmer Jonathan Teplitzky (The Railway Man, Churchill, Burning Man), Spit hits the ground running (literally, with a truly gut-busting airport chase sequence), and never lets up, moving at a great clip for the duration of its running time, which really flies by. Teplitzky and Nyst ingeniously connect the film back to its predecessor while also making it an easy watch for those who haven’t seen it. The places and situations in which Teplitzky and Nyst place Johnny are equally ingenious, revealing hitherto undreamed-of layers to this endearingly shabby character, including a sad childhood that never becomes twee or over sentimentalised.
And while everyone in the cast is fantastic (Arlo Green really impresses as Johnny’s sweet-natured new mate from The Middle East; the returning Helen Thomson is even better this time around; Bob Franklin is hilarious as a genial crook; and Pallavi Sharda goes deliriously over the top as a shonky lawyer), David Wenham is the anchor here, and his brilliance in playing Johnny cannot be understated. The actor literally disappears into the character, doing things physically, vocally and emotionally that almost defy description. Wenham offers a masterclass in comedy and character acting that is a true delight to witness. His performance would nearly be enough of a treat in itself, but the fact that it’s backed up with similarly high-level delights right across the board makes Spit something special indeed. Slide on your favourite pair of thongs and shamble into your local cinema to see it now…
Click here to read our interview with David Wenham.
I caught an early session at the Classic in Elsternwick and thought I would be the only one in the cinema but it ended up being four of us. I just loved it (and so did my fellow audience members). David Wenham was brilliant – I can’t remember having laughed so much at an Australian comedy in a long time. The dialogue was solid and all the other characters – new and old – were just as great. In fact, Helen Thomson’s line regarding how hungry she was, cracked me up as you don’t tend to hear that kind of comment in modern Melbourne eateries.
I’ve now got to find my copy of ‘Gettin’ Square’.
Actually, the following evening I went off to Cinematheque at ACMI for the second Wednesday of the neo-noir films. Klute and The Friends of Eddie Coyle. ‘Spit’ was an interesting counterpoint to Eddie Coyle. If only Eddie had found a Syrian friend things might have been different . . .