Danny Deckchair

Remember Hugh Grant's rather hygeine-challenged house-mate in Notting Hill, played so effectively by Rhys Ifans? Let me tell you, he cleans up very nicely in the quirky Australian comedy, Danny Deckchair.

Danny is a brick-layer who lives in Sydney with his girl friend Trudy,  real estate agent. He has his holiday all planned: a camping trip up north. Trudy makes a work appointment she cannot break (and doesn't really want to) and lies to Danny about why they can't go on vacation. They plan a barbeque instead for the coming weekend. Danny overhears Trudy calling him one of the "little people" of the earth...

Things aren't going so well when Danny discovers Trudy's lie and it's too late to call off the barbeque. While at the store Danny gets some big balloons and he and his friends blow them up and attach them to a ... deckchair. By mistake, they let go, and sure enough, the chair takes off with Danny in it.

He lands very ungracefully in Glenda's back yard. She lives in a small town (think Wizard of Oz) and is the only parking cop there. She takes him in... In the space of about ten days he becomes the campaign manager for a local man and practically gets elected insead... and has some other adventures as well.

This is a charming romantic comedy about finding your soul mate and following your dream all the way home along a yellow brick road - kind of.

Oh, Glenda is played by Miranda Otto - of The Lord of the Rings fame.

No country does quirky so consistently and with so much charm as Australia. If you just want to enjoy a nice movie, try Danny Deckchair.