Director: Tony McNamaraForget Napoleon Dynamite—devotees of Garden State, Rushmore and Ghost World will love this hilarious, offbeat Australian import. Musician Ben Lee portrays title character Placid Lake who is something of a weirdo in his small community as the son of free love, granola hippies Miranda Richardson and Garry McDonald. As such, Placid finds himself the target of regular beatings in his local high school and after one harrowing incident leaves him near death after graduation, he decides, much to the horror his “Doris Day Scientist” gal pal Gemma (played by scene stealer Rose Byrne) that he will go straight, start reading Dale Carnegie and conquer the concrete jungle of corporate Australia. While he never truly escapes his fate as “an odd fish in a sea of mediocrity,” as described by filmmovement’s description of the film, we have a riot watching him find his way, trying to be all things to all people and challenge the norms of our current consumer society. The Rage in Placid Lake is a completely original blast and one true gem that American audiences (especially fans of shows like The Office and Arrested Development) are sure to enjoy.
