Knocked for Six, 2012.
Directed by Boyd Hicklin.
Starring Stephen Curry, Damon Gameau, Madeleine West, Pallavi Sharda, David Lyons, Brenton Thwaites, Brendan Cowell, Darshan Jariwala, Eddie Baroo and Ryan O’Kane.
SYNOPSIS:
Teddy (Curry) and his friends Rick (Cowell) and Stavros (Gameau) are, like most Australians, mad about cricket. When Rick and Stavros reveal that their lives are moving on to bigger and better things, Teddy sets about proving to them that cricket is all they need.
The humble sports film. A staple part of cinema which at its best captures the magic of said sport and the effect it has on the life of the protagonist. American cinema loves a Basketball, Baseball or American Football movie. The UK love a good football film every now and again too. Here the Aussie love of cricket is showcased in Knocked For Six.
Cricket obsessed Teddy Brown (Stephen Curry) grew up idolising Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. He lives and breaths cricket and whilst his idol became, and remained one of the very best in the business, Teddy was consigned to being president of his suburban cricket club and playing with his two best mates Rick (Brendan Cowell) and Stavros (Damon Gameau). All three act like men child though Stavros is now a family man whose dedication to the team has waned, whilst Rick is on the brink of starting his own family and perhaps moving overseas. His friends are moving on and life is passing him by, but Teddy just cannot give up cricket.
Teddy manages to get his team on board for a tour in India to play a host of teams out there. His dreams of representing Australia abroad are coming true but things don’t go according to plan as his friends treat it as a booze cruise and Teddy struggles with the realisation that he’s getting left behind in life. All the while he finds himself smitten with his sponsors daughter Anjali (Pallavi Sharda).
Knocked For Six is an amiable and pretty well made film that doesn’t particularly do much new, but it incorporates a few Bollywood elements and the Indian locations to good effect, making it at least stand out from the crowd somewhat. The cast play well off each other and provide a few laughs. Curry, Gameau and Cowell have good chemistry, though there’s a lack of any real belly laughs in this. It’s mildly amusing but the easy going likeability factor is definitely there. The predictability that comes with most sports films is most certainly at play here, but that said, you find yourself rooting for Curry and his side as they stand toe to toe with cricketers who are better than they are.
Overall this might not win originality awards, but the passion for cricket that Teddy displays is actually fairly infectious and it’s a pleasant watch, even if it doesn’t really push the envelope at all.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Tom Jolliffe
