Backyard Ashes (2013)

It was an ols movie. I loved this film so much that i threatened to pour coke on my friend if he didn't watch it. OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLSO OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS OLS. (ols is better than cat)

Embarrassing.Between making great crime-dramas (eg Animal Kingdom, Snowtown), Australia makes some horrendously bad movies. Pretentious dramas (eg Jindabyne), low-brow comedies (eg the Wogboy) and its cousin, the intended-to-be-folksy-but-really-quite-stupid comedy. This is one of the latter.Watched this because it involved cricket, and almost immediately regretted it. It has some good moments - some cricket in-jokes (eg the Muralitharan = chucker observation and bowling a beer underarm to a New Zealander) and some other laugh-out-loud moments - but these are few and far between. This is seriously bad.Every stereotype is employed, every cliché abused in this farce. The writers and director could not have made the characters more of caricatures of Australians and English if they tried. The plot, for lack of a better word, is silly and contrived. It's as if they wanted to be as predictable and unoriginal as possible.Embarrassing to watch, especially if you're Australian. A movie made to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Really, a 5 1/2, (hence, my summary title) but that wasn't an option. I was a bit bored at first, but it was a rainy, lazy Sunday, so I kicked back and sat through it--and you know what? As it went on, it grew on me. I don't watch cricket, nor do I understand the rules, but it doesn't take an aficionado, or a genius to figure out that backyard cricket is a pastime over in Australia. In a way, this movie is an ode to the love of the game, family, and friends.You won't get big laughs out of this one (at least it didn't happen for me, and I suspect it won't happen for most), but you will find yourself smiling, and that smile will remain for awhile after the movie ends.Another thing about this low budget little movie is that it is clean, good fun (except for a bit of swearing, but nothing to write home about). It's something the whole family can enjoy, or an alternative if you just need a break from the raunchy stuff. Not every comedy has to be full of cursing, douche-bags, and tits--something Hollywood seems to have forgotten.This is a cute, feel-good movie about the possibility of making friends, even with your enemies, that puts some faith back in humanity. Yes, there were clichés, and it was a bit cheesy, but c'mon, admit it: sometimes you're in the mood for a nice little chunk of cheese. With a few crackers on the side. And a beer.If you've got nothing to do on a rainy evening, kick back with the family, pass the cheese and crackers, crack open that beer, and give it a shot. You might be surprised.

Alas! A failed attempt to stretch a very thin plot to ninety minutes. This story could've been laid out pretty quickly, after which the charming cast should've been able to knock pun after pun out of the park. Could have should have...Instead, the plot develops toe-curlingly slow, and then just deflates. The writer runs out of jokes, the editor runs out of film and the only ones enjoying themselves, seem to be the actors.I am truly sorry guys, but this one gets 1 point for the love that obviously went into it, and another for the amiable cast. Hey, at least somebody had a good time, right?