As the director of Borat and Bruno, Larry Charles can hardly be accused of playing it safe. So it is again with Dicks: The Musical. This is a hard-swearing, politically incorrect comedy, which will delight those sick and tired of woke. Dicks is the cinematic adaptation of the musical stage play F…ing Identical Twins: The Musical by Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp. Let’s just say they’re not backward in coming forward. It features an off-the-wall script, in which Jackson and Sharp fill the principal roles.
They play twins Trevor and Craig separated at birth, neither of whom know that the other exists. Individually, they are highly sexed, heterosexual and successful in business. When their two companies merge, they meet one another for the first time since they were in the crib. Without knowing who the other is, they are immediately competitive. Once the penny drops though that they are, in fact brothers, they become inseparable. Both were brought up by individual parents and they hatch a plan for their folks to get together again. Only, as the saying goes, the best laid plans of mice and men …
It turns out that they have fruit loops for parents. Mum Evelyn (Megan Mullally) speaks to inanimate objects, is wheelchair bound and lost her vagina (I kid you not). Dad Harris (Nathan Lane) made it his life’s journey to care for a pair of ugly, bizarre caged creatures with sharp teeth and drops the news that he’s gay. This whole exercise in togetherness is overseen by a figure calling himself God.
If all this sounds like deranged claptrap, it is, but it is also ridiculously funny at times. It pushes the envelope and is always done tongue-in-cheek. The movie sets out to offend and provoke. Musically, the songs – through which part of the plot unfolds – are melodious.
The talent has a wow of a time. Somehow there’s an elegance about most of Lane’s portrayal, even though his “monsters” first approach is extreme, to say the least. That includes deliberately spitting into their faces (I wouldn’t call that elegant). You will get context if you see the film. Megan Mullally plays up her demented characterisation. The boys’ one-upmanship and bonding reaches furious heights. God – as portrayed by Bowen Yang – has never quite looked like this. I also appreciated Megan Thee Stallion’s role as the Craig and Trevor’s new feminist boss, Gloria, who won’t stand for any nonsense. She is a powerful figure.
Approach Dicks: The Musical with an open mind and you can revel in it. Otherwise, you could be shooting off an angry email to the Australian Classification Board.
Alex First
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Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
