Swinging Safari

In a nostalgic ode to 1970s Queensland and all things Australiana, Swinging Safari takes a walk down memory lane to a seemingly simpler way of life, but where the perfect facades hide unhappy relationships. Written and directed by Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) this playful romp does its best to try and capture the politically incorrect so-called golden age, in all its daggy and naïve glory.

Boasting an impressive cast – Guy Pearce, Kylie Minogue, Radha Mitchell, Julian McMahon, Asher Keddie, Jeremy Sims and Jack Thompson, along with newcomers Atticus Rob and Darcey Wilson – Swinging Safari follows one summer in the life of three close-knit families living in a small coastal cul-de-sac, made famous by a 200-tonne blue whale washing up on the local beach.

When the adults have a mediocre 1960s-esque partner-swapping key party, their friendships descend into bitter feuds rather than ecstatic free love. While the adults are distracted by their love/hate relationships, the kids roam wild, engaging in their own sexual encounters and making super 8 stunt movies.

The film bills itself as ‘a love letter to a world of careless parenting, constant sunburn and dangerous unsupervised activities’; however, it doesn’t quite hit the mark. The politically incorrect elements are frowned upon these days for a reason – they’re not things to be nostalgic about. There’s way too much emphasis on kids and sex, despite it being tongue-in-cheek. Even the adults try and ‘groom’ their own 14-year-old kids into having sex with one another.

The 1970s costumes, sets and props are amazing. Jeremy Sims in a beige jumpsuit that leaves nothing to the imagination is absolute gold. But unfortunately the plot isn’t very strong, relying too much on its star power, nostalgic elements and the constant name-dropping of old-school items such as Polly Waffles and fondue in order to keep things interesting. The adult characters are exaggerated caricatures, meant to be funny but instead they’re too stylised. Scenes that should’ve been hilarious, fell flat. The child roles are much more believable and realistic, showing much more depth.

Swinging Safari is nice for a sentimental trip to idealistic 1970s Australia. It’s a light-hearted and mostly entertaining film, but it doesn’t quite hit the comedic high it’s aiming for.

Swinging Safari 
In cinemas now
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