I actually enjoyed this film up to a point. Sure, it's not great cinema (it's a fun TV movie, I feel) and it does overly draw on stereotypes, but it had some very enjoyable moments.I started to get fed up with the constant flow of stereotypes regarding gay men, but then took into consideration that the characters were two small-town Aussie blokes in their 50s, who try to find out about how to "act gay" from the local hairdresser - a flaming whoopsie who is, in fact, a straight man pretending to be gay so he can safely score other men's wives - and gay porn sites. In short, they don't have any real example of gay men to draw on. That's why their experiences in Sydney annoyed me, because nearly everyone they met in the Sydney gay club was a drag queen or other highly theatrical, femmy kind of gay person. I was hoping they would meet actual gay couples who were, you know, ordinary human beings. So that bit was disappointing. On the other hand a)if those guys were visiting during Mardi Gras then it might not have been an exaggeration and b) it was just an excuse to get Paul Hogan into skin tight foil bike shorts, and hell, he's still looking fairly reasonable! And c) the fact their new friends were so ragingly, stereotypically flamboyant ended up being necessary if the farcical events towards the end (when the Sydney gays arrive for their local do, further problematising their desire to stop pretending to be gay)were to work.The scenes in which Caton and Hoges practice "being gay" were priceless. Ditto the bit where they pretend to be a gay couple for the (clearly perturbed) assessor, Pete Postlethwaite. Why? Because they're so terrible at it and so obviously uncomfortable.Just as it was still looking a bit offensive, though, came the heartwarming cheese. The scam can't be exposed while Pete Postlethwaite is there, because they risk jail. They also don't want to upset their new gay friends, whose support of their "out" life in small-town Australia makes them feel so hypocritical. Caton's daughter has arrived with her new GIRLFRIEND in tow - cue the acceptance! And so Caton does a wonderful speech where, without stating explicitly whether they're a couple or not, he talks about acceptance and about how he loves Hoges. It's vastly better than what they did while being assessed, and it also has a classic response from the other men of their generation in the town. ("I knew they weren't gay. Mateship is a wonderful thing.") All in all, this is no classic but it made me laugh quite a few times.

Following in the footsteps of "The Castle" and "Crackerjack" comes another sweet-humored Australian comedy.Normally, the thought of having to put up with Paul Hogan for two hours would be enough keep most people away from a theatre, but Hogan and Caton as the affectionate 'squabbling old-couple' friendship is a highlight.The premise is not overly original, a small town theatre owner (Paul Hogan) convinces a mechanic friend (Michael Caton) to pretend they are a gay couple to claim tax advantages. What follows as they try to hide their scheme from the other townsfolk, while trying to learn how to be 'gay' for the tax inspector, are the highlights of the movie. Hilarity ensues when our heroes travel to Sydney for the (gay) mardi-gras to study gay culture.The climax is very predictable and somewhat unsatisfying, but overall the slapstick style is worth the cost of admission.

Synopsis: A fictional and unlikely Australian Tax law has recently passed which allows all bona fide couples (including same-sex) to be treated with equity. In a small country town two good mates (men friends) have claimed desperately needed tax-relief and now must convince a Tax Inspector of their status, while trying to avoid creating a scandal in their close-knit community.Comments: Strange Bedfellows is surprisingly enjoyable and rewarding. `Surprising' because I had dreaded that somehow Paul Hogan would stuff it up, but he does very well indeed as Vince, a man who hasn't ever fancied another man and really doesn't know where to begin. Michael Caton's Ralph is just as inexperienced in relating sexually to men, but hints at being more open to the possibility (though NEVER with Vince).There are plenty of genuine laughs for gay & straight alike (though not always at the same time), and a rather high cringe factor in a few scenes - especially when the men are sampling `gay culture' during a whirlwind visit to Sydney.Strange Bedfellows has it's heart in the right place, is decidedly LGBT friendly and has the same Australian cultural authenticity that made "The Castle" work so well. Of course the same strong element is shared here in the undeniably unique acting talent of Michael Caton.This is a warmly entertaining film about the value of love and friendship. It probably qualifies as being a romantic comedy - but when Vince and Ralph share sweet memories about each other with the Tax Man you'll find there is no love lost. (8/10)

This would have too be one of the best Aussie movies I have seen in a while. It has everything that works. The story keeps moving along very well, no dull moments, it doesn't try hard to get a cheap laugh and you can't go past the pairing of Caton and Hogan, two of the best. The best scenes in the movie are probably when Vince and Ralph(Hogan and Caton) are taught how to act gay and then hit the big city to learn a bit more than they expect! The soundtrack is also pretty good and a great aussie support cast is included in Paula Duncan, Allan Cassell,Roy Billing and Glynn Nicholas. English actor Pete Postlethwaite also plays the tax investigator sent to review their application and performs well. If you want to have a good laugh, see a quality movie then treat yourself to Strange Bedfellows, you won't be dissapointed!