Danny Deckchair Movie Review

A scene from 'Danny Deckchair'

Cast & Crew

Director : Jeff Balsmeyer

Producer : Andrew Mason

Screenwriter : Jeff Balsmeyer

Starring : Rhys Ifans, Miranda Otto, Justine Clarke, Rhys Muldoon, John Batchelor

In the game of life, Danny Morgan (Rhys Ifans) is a checkers piece sitting on a chess board. At his construction site job, he spends more time in the cement mixer than he does on the girders. His solution to just about any problem, no matter how complicated, is to hold a pancake breakfast. And his current dream in life is to tie multiple helium balloons to his deckchair to see if he can get off the ground.

Danny Deckchair is an unchallenging romantic comedy that begins with its quirky character’s balloon-and-chair experiment but never flies as high as the film’s leading man. Writer/director Jeff Balsmeyer injects his script with the universal desire to fit in, to be accepted despite one’s obvious faults. It’s familiar territory and relatively harmless, for sure, but it’s also humorless and lacking in those all important grains of logical sense.

After floating out of his yard in Sydney, Danny sets down miles from home in the Aussie farming community of Clarence. He abruptly crash lands in Glenda’s (Miranda Otto) backyard, and the lovely but lonely traffic cop makes excuses for her strange visitor when the townsfolk come around asking questions.

In no time flat, Danny charms the entire village while simultaneously becoming a media sensation back in Sydney. Danny’s adventure lets several people play make believe for a few days. His abandoned girlfriend, Trudy (Justine Clarke), gets the attention she long thought she deserved. Meanwhile, Danny’s zany ideas, which fell on deaf ears in his old home, click with his new neighbors. A pancake breakfast can’t be far behind.

As if you couldn’t tell by its premise, Deckchair borders on surreal but is content to stay that way. Balsmeyer bends more than a few rom-com rules to keep his daydream afloat. Clear-headed viewers not willing to wholeheartedly swallow the fairy tale romance might ask themselves why Glenda would lie to her neighbors for this stranger, who literally dropped from the sky into her life. Glenda’s not exactly a witch, so why is the town so shocked that she’d have a male caller? They’d sooner believe that a guy riding a deckchair could land on her porch. Good thing one does. And how come the news reports that flood the televisions telling of Danny’s disappearance fail to include any decent headshots of the missing man?

The actors aren’t asked to deliver too much. Ifans comes across as subdued for what we’re led to believe is an unpredictable bloke. Both leading ladies, though, are very good. Clarke’s eyes sell a spark between Danny and Trudy that burned much brighter when these characters were younger pups, and Otto’s the type of girl-next-door you root for when love is on the line.

Those who really take to Deckchair will appreciate it for all the things it doesn’t have. There are no gratuitous sex scenes, there’s very little swearing (if any), and one quick punch is dished out by Danny to Trudy’s new beau. There’ s an entire audience out there who don’t go to movies anymore because they feel Hollywood has strayed too far from telling a sweet story with likable characters and a happy, but predictable, ending. Deckchair welcomes that crowd back to theaters, and awaits their return with open arms.

Look ma, top of the world!

Write for us

Comments

Rhys Ifans Newsletter

Subscribe to this news alert service to receive news and reviews on Rhys Ifans

Unsubscribe

Films by Artist: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Danny Deckchair Rating

" Weak "

Rating: PG-13, 2003

Rhys Ifans Photos

Rhys Ifans picture 5744852
Rhys Ifans picture 3575945
Rhys Ifans picture 3575425

Rhys Ifans Film Reviews


More Rhys Ifans Movies

Rhys Ifans Videos

The Amazing Spider-Man - Alternative Trailer

The Amazing Spider-Man - Alternative Trailer

The Five Year Engagement - Trailer

The Five Year Engagement - Trailer

Anonymous - Trailer

Anonymous - Trailer


More Rhys Ifans Videos

Breaking News: Meryl Streep Wants To Make Women's Rights MovieWill Ferrell Joins Flamingo ThiefJennifer Aniston Praises 'Stylish' Justin TherouxBill Nighy Feared He'd Injure Dame Judi Dench With Bad DrivingBollywood Actress Esha Deol EngagedHefner's Son Arrested Over Alleged Girlfriend AttackActress Zina Bethune Dies In Hit And Run HorrorMinaj Backs Aids Campaign After Family TragedyEstelle Sacked Aides After Finding FameSelena Gomez And Her Band The Scene Part WaysMadonna Accused Of Copying SongDionne Warwick Cancels Concert In Wake Of Whitney Houston's DeathWhitney Houston Was Alive And Well An Hour Before Body FoundDeadmau5 Wears Skrillex's Phone Number On Grammy Awards T Shirt2012 Grammy Awards: Bon Iver Is This Year's Surprise WinnerJennifer Hudson's Tribute To Whitney Houston Typifies Muted GrammysRhys Ifans Accused Of Assaulting Party Guest At HotelBlue Ivy Carter Photo Album On Tumblr, Beyonce Rejects $14 Million?Halle Berry's Daughter, 3, Terrified Of Gabriel AubryLady Gaga Smooches Paul Mccartney At GrammysGrammy Performers 2012: Comeback Kings Steal The ShowBobby Brown Heads To Comfort Hospitalized Bobbi KristinaJessie J Dedicates Song To Late Hero Whitney HoustonFoo Fighters Get Riotous Jack Black Grammy IntroductionRihanna And Coldplay Wow At Grammys With Medley Of HitsWhitney Houston Tributes Pour In At The GrammysSimon Cowell Shows Off Softer Side: Lends Private Jet To Father To BeThe Beach Boys Share Good Vibrations At The GrammysBon Iver Beats Nicki Minaj At The Grammys, Cue Furious ProtestsJason Derulo Tops Facebook Love PlaylistKaty Perry Debuts New Single At The Grammy's: Changes Lyrics To Bash Russell BrandChris Brown Caps Dubious Return With Grammys WinWhitney Houston Found Dead In Hotel Bath, Coroner ConfirmsAdele Gets Standing Ovation For Blistering 'Rolling In The Deep'Meryl Streep Shines On Baftas Red Carpet David Beckham Watches Victoria Launch New Collection David Gandy And Mollie King SplitMick Jagger And Paul Mccartney Re Enter ChartsOrlando Bloom Away From Miranda For Valentine's DayNaomie Harris Doing Her Own Bond StuntsShakira Attacked By Sea LionGeorge Clooney Wants To Team Up With Kate WinsletSinead O'connor Blasts Talent ShowsAdele Wins Six GrammysRussell Crowe To Hunt Dracula Jennifer Hudson Leads Grammy Tributes To WhitneySusan Sarandon's Spanish Steps ConceptionRhys Ifans Accused Of AssaultWhitney Houston 'Died In The Bath' Bobbi Kristina Brown Treated For AnxietyMichael Caine's Dark Knight Tears Chris O'dowd Not Expecting Bridesmaids Return Denzel Washington Rarely Likes ScriptsElton John Offering Sheeran Us Advice Woody Harrelson's Religious RolePosthumous Award For Amy Winehouse At The 2012 GrammysAdele And Foo Fighters Clean Up At The 2012 Grammy AwardsJennifer Hudson Stuns Crowd With Whitney Houston TributeStanding Ovation For Adele At The 2012 Grammy AwardsDiana Ross Pays Tribute To Whitney HoustonFoo Fighters Awarded As The Grammys Start To SparkleBobby Brown Cancels Tour To Comfort DaughterBobbi Kristina Brown Released From Hospital After Panic AttackGrammys Begin With A Prayer For Whitney HoustonHeavy Atmosphere At The Grammys In The Wake Of Whitney Houston DeathGrammys Red Carpets Update 'Nicki Minaj Brings The Pope'Skrillex Bags Three Grammys And CountingIts Two Grammy Awards For Country Star Taylor Swift So FarThe Artist A Big Winner At Britain's BaftasHistoric Movies A Time Bomb?Jolie Comes Out Fighting At Berlin News ConferenceStudios Set A February RecordThe Bbc Falls Victim To ScandalMurdoch Hit By New ScandalKiera Knightley Admits To Having Body InsecuritiesGlen Campbell Announces Farwell Tour, Talks AlzheimersShakira Awarded Prestigious French Government HonourColeen Rooney's Blackmailers Jailed For 'Despicable' Act