100 Minutes, Comedy, M
As we head towards the closure of what has been a terrific year for Australian cinema, from both a quality of filmmaking and a profitable box-office perspective, independent comedy NOW ADD HONEY is hoping to further sweeten that success. Featuring a savoury cast which includes Portia De Rossi, Lucy Fry, Robyn Butler (who writes the screenplay), Erik Thomson, David Field and Hamish Blake, NOW ADD HONEY takes us inside the household belonging to the Morgan family, as they prepare for the arrival of their pop star cousin currently residing in the US, Honey Halloway. An arrival that no one is prepared for.
As it turns out, a savoury cast have as much chance of sweetening this overcooked souffle as adding salt to sweeten your favourite cake recipe would work! An awfully over-the-top, theatrically acted opening act along with a script that’s just about as much fun as decorating a cake using a broken piping bag, get this rather tasteless film off to an unhealthy start it can never quite detox from, try as it might. Once the misconduct within the opening act is finally dissolved and Honey Halloway (Sounds like a stripper or porn star!) has crash-landed, Robyn Butler’s screenplay begins to cook up and dish out some scenarios and gags the audience have a moment to laugh with, during a more stabilised second act. The acting simmers down somewhat and Hamish Blake’s unassuming, naive Alex gets NOW ADD HONEY as far as it will go to becoming as good as it can be during its best moments, but that is all short-lived. With a clear lack of structure all throughout and a titular character who is written with not a single memorable (for the right reasons) line of dialogue or situation, and is not the least bit interesting either, NOW ADD HONEY turns out to be the cinematic glum pudding that should have been given the straight to DVD treatment.
1.5 out of 5
Footnote to Parents
Over 13-15 due to partial nudity and some offensive language
Moviedoc wishes to thank Roadshow Films and Village Cinema, Jam Factory for the invite to the Melbourne Premier of NOW ADD HONEY.
Review by Moviedoc
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