The King

I was exceptionally disappointed with this film.

I have absolutely no qualms with the makers of the movie portraying Graham Kennedy as a troubled person, but the entire movie had a sombre, depressing, almost dour tone.

The lighting and the music were intentionally dull, dreary and heavy, and there were very few scenes from Kennedy's hilarious shows and skits. Why the director has chosen this approach is beyond me, when one considers that the overriding atmosphere that Kennedy created way joyous and light. As I say, no issue with portraying Kennedy as they did, but to make the whole movie a downer...I didn't enjoy that.

There was virtually no exploration of the personal relationships between Graham Kennedy and Bert Newton or Noeline Brown. There was minimal insight into why Graham was the way he was portrayed in the movie. For a character and era about which so much is already known, this movie did not provide ANY enlightenment or new information. I found there to be very little depth to the movie.

A pity really, because the subject of the film was/is so powerful and interesting,it should have led to a truly memorable movie.

Stephen Curry's performance was magnificent. Just a great shame that he wasn't give MUCH more to work with.

Some minor points, when films have to "trick" certain scenes up with lighting, eg. The scene where Kennedy is being offered Blankety Blanks, you know they're in trouble. Also no mention of "Travelling North" or of "Coast to Coast" in which Graham Kennedy was brilliant.

I only gave the movie 5 out of 10 because the subject matter was so excellent.