There's Something About Mary

Tasteless and downright hilarious at times, There's Something About Mary is the latest film from the Farrelly Brothers; the sick sense of humour kings.

They also made Dumb And Dumber and Kingpin, both of which are also stupid and black- and funny!

Mary, played as a peachy keen nice girl by the delightful Cameron Diaz, is a heart warmer who has at least five men fall in love with her. She's pretty, kind, bright and works as a surgeon in Miami.

Ted, as a teeth in braces teenager, had fallen for her in high school years before but had unfortunately caught his genitals in the fly of his suit in Mary's bathroom just before he and the girl of his dreams were about to go to the prom together.

Sounds painful? Sounds embarrassing? It certainly was for Ted, but for the audience, or at least the audience who are up to it, the "beans and frank" dilemma, or as we'd say in Australia the meat and potatoes dilemma, is outrageously funny.

Skip 13 years and Ted is still smitten with Mary, (and fine downstairs) and hires Pat (Matt Damon), a sleazy private detective to scout out Mary. But Pat then falls in love with Mary and tries to get her for himself.

Mary's living with Magda (Lin Shaye) who is a sun goddess of sorts who has a particularly mean little dog. It's a shame the shorts of There's Something About Mary shows so much of the all important dog attack scene, but don't worry, the dog gets his tongue in elsewhere.

Plot isn't usually very important in films like this, being only a device for the next comedic set up, but in There's Something About Mary there are some truly surprising details which of course I won't mention here, but it's a relief to get pleasure in that way as well as some good ol' fashioned belly laughs.

There's Something About Mary does have awkward moments (particularly when a non actor says his three lines) and some of the jokes will be more understood by Americans. But physical comedy transcends all cultures.