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Could conformity be the new form of revolution? I doubt it — rather, I suspect that all forms of revolt have been co-opted by the system and are self-deluding types of conformity. Be that as it may, this offbeat Australian comedy takes a subversive premise and makes it into a cute and consumable entertainment. Which, I suppose, illustrates my point. Placid Lake (Ben Lee, frontman for the band Noise Addict) is not the picturesque Montana state park but a disturbed young man raised by his faded hippie parents (Garry MacDonald, Miranda Richardson) to be non-aggressive, creative, countercultural, and all that in this film from Australian director Tony McNamara. Frequently beaten by school bullies, he’s befriended by Gemma (Rose Byrne, Brad Pitt’s squeeze in Troy), a bespectacled girl genius bound to be the next Madame Curie. They have a close but not intimate friendship, with Gemma bailing Placid out of tight spots. When Placid ends up in traction after apparently being tossed off the school roof by tormentors, he vows to make a radical change: he’ll become an insurance executive. This parody of the gray world of social assimilation is itself rather gray and assimilated. It’s funny, too, and sometimes touching, thanks to the low-key cast (Lee in particular), who seem sadly aware of their film’s lack of consequence. (89 minutes)
BY PETER KEOUGH
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