Mad Cows Details

Kathy Lette's bestselling comic novel transfers to the screen with tiresomely over-the-top characters, amateurish direction and a witless script that makes the seventies' “Confession” films seem like the work of Noël Coward. Anna Friel nails the accent as Australian single mum Maddy, but her gamine looks and limited thespian skills render her character utterly unconvincing. The decent British supporting cast (including Joanna Lumley and Anna Massey) make complete idiots of themselves, while a bunch of D-list British celebs have pointless cameos. If the poor performances and stupid story don't drive you mad, Sara Sugarman's heavy-handed, “wacky” camerawork should finish the job.

A failed farce that tempts its cast into overacting whenever possible, which is made worse by the clichéd directorial style, full of meaningless flourishes.