Any Questions for Ben?
It tells the story of Ben, a wealthy millennial living in Melbourne who is constantly quitting jobs, moving house, changing partners and travelling internationally.When he attends a school reunion to give a speech about his achievements, he realises he is dissatisfied with life but is also reunited with Alex, who now works as a human rights lawyer for the UN in Yemen.Ben North (Josh Lawson) is a highly-paid 27-year-old marketing creative who lives in a large inner-city apartment in Curtin House on Swanston Street in Melbourne's CBD with his flatmates, Nick (Daniel Henshall) and Andy (Christian Clark).The film opens with Ben attending a launch party for "Minsk Vodka", which he has rebranded with a Russian theme despite the fact it is actually from New Zealand.While at this party, he meets and sets up a date with a woman named Fleur (Chantelle Raleigh) who is working at the event as a runway model.As the night winds up, Ben tells his boss that he is planning to quit and work for RVB Brands Group to help rebrand the Simpson sportswear line for a new generation.Fleur talks about her upcoming audition to work as a TV weather presenter, a topic which Nick and Em find interesting and ask her several questions about.He reluctantly decides to attend, and there meets the current school principal (Rob Sitch), Jim (Ed Kavalee) and Alex (Rachael Taylor).Alex now works as a human rights lawyer in Yemen for the United Nations and has made the trip back to Melbourne just to address the school.Late in the night, Ben's good-natured boss Malcolm (David James) announces that they will all attend Carols by Candlelight at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in a specially reserved row.The night before the Australian Open, Ben and Malcolm attend a corporate event to meet famed Russian tennis player Katerina Sinova (Liliya May) in order to recruit her to be a Simpson brand ambassador.When Ben confesses feelings of inadequacy and inertia, Sam takes him for a spin in a Ferrari to encourage him to enjoy life.Ben asks her out and they spend the following day on a date, meeting at the National Gallery of Victoria then walking through to Cooks' Cottage, the Royal Exhibition Building, the University of Melbourne and the Moroccan Soup Bar in Fitzroy, where she orders in Arabic.When Em realises Ben has not followed up contact with Alex, she calls him a “fucking idiot”, telling him she will no longer interfere with his life.Two months later, Ben has revitalised the Simpson brand and earned Ken and Malcolm's respect, though he intends to leave that job soon and move onto something else.In a mid-credits flashback scene, Ben nervously attempts to explain his spontaneous Yemen trip to the Australian Border Force, who suspect him of being a terrorist.He concluded, "And I sense that others who similarly fell hard for the soulful sincerity of The Castle and The Dish will feel a little quizzical about the comparative slickness of Any Questions for Ben?".[10] Tom Ryan in the Sydney Morning Herald wrote that the film was often very funny and singled out Rachael Taylor's performance for praise – "the camera loves her".[12] Luke Buckmaster, writing on Crikey, was scathing in his review, saying the film had "blobs of writer's block offal masquerading as a storyline" along with an implausible relationship at its centre with no emotional connection between the two leads.