Malcolm (1986)

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

The Worst Film Ever

the audience applauded

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

A simpleminded (adult) orphan with a genius for building mechanical gizmos rents his spare room to a hardened ex-con and his sympathetic girlfriend, and is inspired by his new tenants to devise the means to rob banks by remote control, from the comfort of his own bedroom. This offbeat and engaging Australian comedy is more of a character piece than a caper, with a built-in element of pathos in the title character's clumsy inability to function socially (the turn to crime is only his way of trying to please his surrogate parents). The only thing missing is a satisfactory climax: as it stands there's a certain lack of tension because the big heist is so well planned and smoothly executed. A typically quirky music score by Simon Jeffes' Penguin Café Orchestra adds just the right touch of lightness.

Delightful Australian comedy about simple-minded genius 'Malcolm' and his misadventures in crime, with his partners/boarders 'Frank' and 'Judith'.Filmed in inner suburban Melbourne, this film will really strike a chord with local audiences. Director Nadia Tass has kept the movie very light hearted, and very Australian, as the cast deliver comic scenes of real hilarity. Much kudos too goes to writer David Parker. Colin Friels is wonderful as 'Malcolm', and his supporting cast are also very good. John Hargreaves and Lindy Davies play off each other beautifully. Not to be missed by Melburnians, nor comedy fans.Sunday, August 16, 1992 - VideoNadia Tass' disarming comedy is delightfully acted out by Friels (as the reserved genius 'Malcolm') and both John Hargreaves and Lindy Davies (as the typical Aussie working class couple).The gadgetry is fun, the scenery wonderfully close to home (inner suburban Melbourne) and the comedy very effective. Good fun all round.Saturday, March 20, 1993 - Video

Malcolm is one of several movies produced by David Parker & Nadia Tass. It won 8 A.F.I. (Australian Film Industry) awards when first produced.Malcolm was one of my favourite movies while growing up, particularly because of my own love of tinkering and model railroads. It and Rikky & Pete are still two of my favourite movies, light heared Australian comedies that didn't shy away from anything, which is the depressing reality of more and more modern movies.As it goes it actually has a few stars cast (local stars though not international) in it.While somewhat simple (in the story this is blamed at least partially on his upbringing by his mother in what is an ethnic neighbourhood) Malcolm has a flair for invention which gets him fired from his job with the Melbourne tram company after he builds a working tram out of spare parts. After being laid off he is told he needs to get a boarder in to support himself financially. Enter Frank an ex-con still upto criminal activities who brings in his girlfriend Judith to live in the other room.It is a good fun family movie which most if not all will enjoy, provided the Australian style of comedy and pacing don't get to you (this is typical of Tass & Parker who tend to put a very Australian feel to all the movies they produced together which means the pace is laid back, the language a touch vulgar, and the whole affair is a realistic depiction of human beings [the car that split in half was actually built it's not just a prop]).

Malcolm is a technical/mechanical version of Rainman - instead of numbers, it is about all things mechanical/electronic. Colin Friels plays him with the same attention to detail as Dustin Hoffman did in Rainman, but this is a much funnier, uplifting (if you can say that about a bank robbery film!) film that will leave you glad you watched. When Malcom's mother dies, he needs help with the house payments so he takes in a couple as boarders. When he finds out they are bank robbers - and not very adept ones at that - he devises ways to pull off a robbery successfully. How he does it is part of the fun of the film. The writer - David Parker - brings a unique perspective to the use of mechanical/electronic devices that keep the film moving. The robbery is a success and the film ends happily - for the characters and the viewer. I would hope it is made available again.