Strange Bedfellows (2004)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Dean Murphy

Writers:

Stewart Faichney (written by)
Dean Murphy (written by)

Release Date:

22 April 2004 (Australia)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

They're close mates, but not that close.

Plot:

Two 'very straight' old timers (Hogan and Caton) have to learn how to pass as a loving gay couple after falsely claiming same-sex status to take advantage of newly leglislated tax laws.

Plot Keywords:

Sydney Australia | Bar | Gay Interest | Man Pretending To Be Gay

Cast

Michael Caton	...	Ralph Williams
Alan Cassell	...	Stan Rogers
Andy Pappas	...	Post Van Driver
Paula Duncan	...	Yvonne Philpot
Roy Billing	...	Fred Coulson
Jamie Robertson	...	Carbo
Kevin Dee	...	Hughie
Paul Hogan	...	Vince Hopgood
Stewart Faichney	...	Sergeant Jack Jenkins
Simon Paton	...	Red
Shane Withington	...	Father Xavier Delaney
Monica Maughan	...	Faith
Jenny Dale	...	Local Lady
Kestie Morassi	...	Carla
Ashley Evans	...	Porn Site Boy

Also Known As:

I Now Pronounce You Vince and Ralph (UK) (new title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Portugal:M/12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Albury, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Instinct Entertainment

Trivia:

The film that Paul Hogan's character screens is The Last of the Knucklemen (1979) which also features Michael Caton.

Movie Connections:

Features The Last of the Knucklemen (1979)

Soundtrack:

Staying Alive

Funniest thing I've seen all year

I like a good farce. It's a very simple formula, you wonder why so many films get it wrong. It starts with a small lie... and then a slightly bigger lie to cover the first one, and so on and so on. The secret is to make the underlying situation very serious. In this instance, the threat isn't being "outed" to the township, it's taxation fraud and the potential of being sent to jail that underpins the frantic farceurs.

I watched the DVD of 'Strange Bedfellows' tonight with my partner and we both laughed like hyenas throughout. Even though most of the plot twists are obvious, half the pleasure comes from predicting what's going to happen next, and then seeing it actually happen as poor Vince and Ralph are plunged deeper into their charade. Michael Caton is brilliant, and Paul Hogan shines too, a few slightly wooden scenes notwithstanding. The rest of the cast allows anyone who's grown up with Aussie TV to play a quick game of "Ooh, isn't that...?"

The tax law reform which sets the plot in motion is very improbable - now moreso than when the film was made just last year - but it's clearly just a mcguffin to get the plot rolling, and it's not worth slamming the film for it.

Some people have been saying that the film is full of negative gay stereotypes; since the only part of the film with "real" gays (as opposed to Vince and Ralph's hilariously inept mincing) is set in Oxford St Sydney on a Friday(?) night, it's hardly surprising everyone's all frocked up for a night out. The important lesson here is that once Vince and Ralph sit and talk with them and get to know them, the gay guys are just, well, guys. Which is pretty much the moral of the story. Strip away the glitter and the glam, forget about who does what to whom in the bedroom - if you just stop and look, people are all just people.

I loved this - it's the Australian 'In And Out'. More like this, please.