Having seen this movie twice says a lot about how good this Aussie comedy flick is, because life's too short to watch bad movies repeatedly...especially when there's so many to choose from. Carl Barron's story is one a lot of performers can relate to. In this movie the hero speaks to thousands nightly on stage or TV, but doesn't cope as well in one on one situations whether it's with his dad, the local Bar man his manager or girls. Like his apartment it makes you happy when u c Sydney Harbour or sad when u c the city.

Manny Lewis is fun little movie with a simple plot that is easy to follow. The story is nothing new, and follows a successful comedian who wants to meet a woman, and then he meets a woman and some things happen. There are bits of comedy and bits of drama, some happy moments and some sad moments.

There's not much in the way of side plots, and the story at times seems overly simplistic, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The story flows quickly from one scene to the next, with nothing added to pad out the running time. We want to know what happens next and we don't have to wait. The main character is the focus of almost every single scene, which keeps things flowing nicely. The film is short and fun and not too long. And although it is pretty predictable, it is still very enjoyable.

Additionally, it was very nice to see Carl Barron in an acting role. I'm a big fan of his stand-up work, so it was a real treat to watch him in a film. He's actually a pretty decent actor. The film incorporates much of the comedian's work into it, showing him performing onstage. I probably would have rated this film a full star lower if it had featured any other actor in the lead role (if I had even watched it at all) but thankfully it does not.

'Manny Lewis' is co-written by and stars the master of stand-up comedy, Carl Barron.

This film does have it's funny moments, due to the fact that they were written by a comedian. Before you watched the movie, you sort of knew that there were going to be some very 'Carl-like' jokes included, and if that's all you were expecting then you will enjoy this movie.

For me, the story is where the movie failed. A rather intriguing premise, but at times the story just felt flat and not as dramatic as it was intended. There were also quite a few romantic-comedy clichés used, and the film didn't really bring anything new to the table for the genre.

Overall, 'Manny Lewis' is a reasonably enjoyable film. It may not satisfy the more serious movie-goer, but will scratch the itch that others may have of wanting Carl Barron movie. Go see the film, and decide for yourself if it works or doesn't.