Idle Vapourings of a Mind Diseased

This was immediately funny, starting with the tooth and then escalating. I know she wasn't supposed to be the most likable politician but I kinda loved her audacity haha, acted very well too. Ending on the painting wrapped it up nicely :D Loved it

You have given us an evening of conversation figuring out all the different references to various prime ministers, and I expect the same conversations have been going on in various other households also!

After the second injury, I knew exactly where the rest of the film was going, yet was never bored and still entirely hooked and waiting for the next way she injured herself!
This was a load of fun to watch, though I don't know if this is just me, but the ending felt a little bit abrupt, the film as a whole seemed to be half the story, then cut straight to the ending.
Overall, I quite enjoyed it though, the film was great fun and got many a laugh out of me!

I was a child when Key pulled the ponytail, and this film healed something within me.
Plenty of references and jokes for a political nerd like me, with an excellent central performance.

My sister and I turned to each other jaws gaping at the John Key ponytail reference which I haven't probably thought about since it happened when we were kids. Very fun tounge in cheek film!

For the love of God someone water that ficus!!!
Seriously though, non-stop New Zealand political references hit so hard and made this so enjoyable. The jokes blended with physical comedy work so well for the genre, and there are references that will appeal to a very wide audience here!

What I liked:
Some good political references and the flashbacks of these gags were well handled. The film moves quickly and bounces from joke to joke, which is ideal for a comedy-of-errors film. The performance from our accident-prone PM is convincing.

Take it or leave it:
In many ways this is just an interview with flashbacks. Admittedly, you’ve been clever with it by not doing most of it in front of a TV camera, by using an artist painting a portrait and hearing the stories, which links the element very nicely. The ending is quite abrupt, but to be fair ties the story up well enough.

Final hot air:
Well done making the shortlist.

This film was just so much fun to watch – from the tooth onwards the slow reveal of each injury and the story behind them kept us entertained. We love a joke at the government’s expense and there were plenty of them here. Perhaps a little more shot variety could add even more visual interest, however the acting and physical comedy were really nicely done to set the tone of this film and kept us engaged. Overall we really enjoyed watching your film – a nice clean and clear story with high entertainment value is always so appreciated!

Congrats on making the shortlist! In a sea of fairly one beat stories scrambling for a spot, this one stood out for being clear, consistent and well structured. Judges felt it was well written, with a strong use of the portrait element to carry the story, and the gags were great. They were a bit of a split on how to elevate it, some suggesting it needed to be snappier, others saying we needed more story - we land in the latter of those opinions.

THE BEST THING: A clear, easy to follow story that ultimately tipped in your favour for a shortlist spot - Story is king!

THE NEXT THING: Production quality is the thing that takes this team from a shortlist level to a finalist level. Consider hiring out some gear for the weekend, recruit a soundie, and you'll be sure to continue climbing in the ranks! Well done team.