Ever thought you might be crazy? Self-prescribe yourself a trip to go see PJ Hogan’s new film Mental, because you’re not alone.
It’s exactly the type of cult reunion party you’d expect from Hogan and lead star Toni Collette, who previously worked together on Muriel’s Wedding in 1994.The story takes place in mundane suburbia, Dolphin Heads, where Collette plays an acid-tongued, hippie outlaw called Shaz, who becomes a life-changing nanny to the five daughters of the dysfunctional ‘Moochmore’ family.
“It’s not a sequel to Muriel's Wedding, but they do have the same DNA”, says Hogan. “They share the same Dad, and both films are based on things that actually happened to me.”
Muriel’s Wedding fans sure will have a field day with Mental. There’s a distinct and ironic overlap between the two films, with similar characters and quotes, and iconic scenes repeated. However, while Muriel’s Wedding is the story of what happened to Hogan’s sister, Mental is the story of what happened to his family when Hogan’s mum had a nervous breakdown and was sent away to a psychiatric care unit. Hogan’s dad was left with five kids he couldn't talk to.
“He really did what happens in the film; he picked up a hitchhiker off the side of the road and trusted her to look after his family because she had a dog. I came home from school one day and there she was sitting on the couch, rolling a cigarette, and there was a hunting knife in her boot. That person remains one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met.”
In the film Shaz describes herself as the ‘Avenging Angel of the Perpetually Humiliated’, a title that is rightfully earnt. She gathers respect and trust from those around her by helping them understand that it’s ok to be mental.
“Shaz was the first person who said you may be a bunch of outsiders, but that's good! She really was the first person who gave us faith in ourselves.”
Mental takes twists and turns in unexpected and always insane directions. More-is-more is the motto, evidenced by bright cinematography and an outlandish production design. As a result, uninspired audiences will find Mental’s eccentric nature brash and too salty to taste. But despite his directorial madness, Hogan remains level-headed and optimistic when predicting how the film might fare upon release.
“I set out to make a film that was funny and one that would move you. Anything after that is just gravy. My only job really is to buckle you in to the ride and know you won't suspect anything coming.”
It’s worth noting the tech-savvy nature of the five Moochmore daughers and how this view is becomingly increasingly used to describe Generation Z. In the opening scene of Mental we see iPods, iPhones, a Wii console, online personality tests, and thesaurus googling, all coinciding with a hysteric episode from Mrs Moochmore.
“So many kids I know misdiagnose themselves. They Google depression or bipolar and think "that's me, I'm suffering this". Anyone can post anything on the Internet, there’s masses and masses of information, a lot of it is just not true.
“I have four kids, they're always playing video games and always on their iPhones. I think the girls who acted in Mental even provided their own iPhones. I said 'have you all got cell phones’, they all did, they brought them in and used them.”
Hogan sure knows how to make a weird and wonderful kitsch comedy, daring audiences to laugh at circumstances they shouldn’t. Mental couldn’t be anything else but the work of a mad genius.
Mental is in cinemas from Thursday October 4.
