| The Independent | |
| Director: | Andrew O'Keefe John Studley |
| Producer: | Jim Xyga |
| Starring: | Lee Mason Tony Nikolakopoulos Sylvie De Crespigny Chris Bunworth Georgia Bolton Grant Piro Jonathon Auf Der Heide Jim Daly |
| Music: | Nick Batterham |
| Cinematography: | Wayne Aistrope |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
The Independent is an Australian independent mockumentary film released in 2007, produced by Apocalypse Films. It chronicles the story of Marty Browning (Lee Mason), a man who runs for state parliament in a Victorian by-election to save his family farm, backed by a shady businessman (Tony Nikolakopoulos). He runs as an independent, but under the banner of "The Independent Party"; his plan is to form policies by asking members of the public for their opinions, thereby providing a direct public voice in parliament. (A similar purpose is held by the real-life Australian party Senator On-Line.)
The film was shot in 2006, and released to a small number of cinemas on 8 November 2007 in the lead up to the 2007 Australian federal election. A national cinema launch is planned for April/May 2008.[1]
Critical reception to the film was positive, with good reviews from many high-profile Australian film critics and an average rating of around three stars. A frequent criticism was that the film seems uncertain of its tone, wavering between comedy and drama,[2] but overall the film was considered successfully endearing, with some reviewers praising the filmmakers' decision not to merely go for laughs.[3] Margaret Pomeranz found the ending "problematic",[4] but along with most other reviewers singled out Mason for his "outstanding" performance; James Brown of FILMINK Magazine described Marty as "the most charming protagonist since Kenny".[5]