Film Reviews by RP

I love listening to Mark Kermode review films. I've been listening to his reviews since the 90's and he always gives a fair assessment of a film, always. Why do I mention Mark Kermode you might ask? I mention the brillaint Mark Kermode because I listened to his review (Octoberish 2019) and then with what with one thing and another I never got the chance to watch 'Monos' till the summer of 2021. So, by that point I had forgotten most of Mark's excellent review and pretty much watched 'Monos' without knowing what to expect. From the opening scene I was mesmerised!

Normally in a film review I would mention plot without spoilers but I really think I benefitted a great deal from knowing very little about the plot and I do not want to deny others a chance to be mesmerised. Also, normally I would review a film soon after watching it, with Monos I decied to postpone my review to see how I felt a few months later. Well I'm still mesmerised all these months later!

If you are reading this film review (well not really a review just a message in case anyone else may be mesmerised like I was) because you are unsure on whether to watch the film or not, then I will say this, give it a go. You will know within the first five minutes if this film is for you or not. I gave the film version of 'Lord Of The Flies' a go and it just wasn't for me, the whole time I watched it I felt like something was missing. What was missing from the 'Lord Of The Flies' film I found in 'Monos' and so much more!

If I ever get the chance to watch 'Monos' in a cinema then I will be thrilled, if not then I can't wait to watch 'Monos' via Cinema Paradiso in a few years time, and then again and again.

I love Christopher Nolan's previous mumble mumble. However, mumble mumble and, so I quickly began not to care. Like Mark Kermode says, I would rather a filmmaker aim high and fail, mumble aim low and fail. I wanted to see this film at the cinema, but mumble Boris mumble tier 4 mumble. And so, I couldn't watch it till available to rent on BluRay. I'm so glad I watched it on BluRay, thank you Cinema Paradiso!!! I saved money mumble mumble, money that is better in my pocket than a filmmaker who says the mumbling dialogue was intentional! I very much think that's a lie, I think the reality is that the mumbling was deliberate because it masked the plot holes and poor script.

I knew from Mark Kermode's review that this film wasn't about skateboarders. It's a film about capturing the transition from adolescence to being an adult. And, how childhood experiences can influence one's course in life and potentially repeat with the new generation. The thing that got me the most about the documentary was how open everyone was when interviewed; whether it be an arranged interviews or questions raised as the subjects lived their day. I kept expecting to see some of the subjects to walk out of the interviews, but... well I won't spoil anything. Not that the questions were too invasive , just that some of the subjects have to face their past.

What helps the documentary in a big way is that Bing Liu is friends with or related to many of the subjects. That said, Bing Liu in my view is up there with Asif Kapadia in terms of capturing information and presenting the information in a exceptional structured way. I hope he goes on to make more documentaries. Plus, I wish well the subjects in this film who shared their lives with us.

Sorry for the pun in my title but this really is a slow film which is set to the pace of life, not to the pace of Hollywood. To say much more would spoil the second half of the film. All I will say is, this is is an observation film about human characteristics. The makers of this film take a different approach to telling the more sinister parts of the story, an approach which is more realistic and far removed from how Hollywood and other South Korean films would tell the story.

Like I say, this is a slow film, and I can see why others will lose patience with it, but for me the slow pace was right. The only criticism I have of the film is that it is the film's length is far too long. Thus, I'm less inclined to watch it again. If it were to lose around 30 minutes it would become a treasure.

Like a lot of films these days, the best way to watch this film is to not know anything about it. You will either turn this film off at various points or, you will keep going hoping for more originality and being pleasently surprised.

What I will say about the film is: this is a low budget film. Some of the editing especially felt like it was a student's film, who has tried to include all of their footage because they worked hard to get those scenes filmed. Thus, the film drags in places, BUT! As soon as I felt it was dragging something new and exciting would happen so I stuck with it and I'm glad I did!

Firstly, this isn't a zombie film. Like '28 Days later', the humans are infected! Zombies are the living dead, there's a big difference, especially with this film!

Secondly, it's a low budget horror film and I find low budget horror films worth a watch on occasion. I must admit that I put off watching this film thinking it would be boring and too similar to 28 days later. But, I was pleasently surprised and glad I watched it. '28 Days Later' is still far better, but I've seen that fim enough times and it was refreshing to watch a horror film that isn't all about BANG scares. This film gets you thinking.

Before watching this film the only thing I knew about it was that Daniel Radcliffe plays corpose. And, in my view, knowing very little about the film is the best way to watch it.

If you are unusure whethre it is worth your time, I say this: If you want to see an original film, that is bonkers, that is about love, friendship, and life, then this film is for you. You might find you do not like it (and that's fine) but at least you will get to see an original film that made an effort unlike some big budget films I've seen.

P.S. I loved the film.

Firstly, I watched this film knowing very little about it and I think that is the best way to watch it. All I knew was the use of the Rhetian language believed to have bean used in that region of the film's setting around 5,300 years ago. The film tells you this at the start and the film also tells you that there are no subtitles because the film makers believe there isn't a need, and it is true in my opinion. There is very little diaglogue in the film, all the information you need is presented visually.

It's best to stop reading here if you don't want to know anymore but if you do, I promise the following does not contain any spoilers:

This film is inspired by the Ötzi mummy which was discovered in 1991, high up in the Alps near the Italian-Austrian border. All of that is fact along with the facts that the man lived around 5,300 years and died a certain way. The rest of the fim is a plausible tale given how the man died so high up in the Alps.

Please note the film is NOT excessively brutal. There is brutality in the film, but it is not gratuitous! For example, humans are still stabbing each other in 2019, what do you expect happened 5,300 years ago!?

I don't write reviews, but I feel I have to after enduring this film to spare others with tastes like mine. Here and there I fast-forwarded through about 40 minutes of the film and I felt like I had missed nothing!

If like me you are a fan of Aronofsky's other work like 'Pi', 'Requiem for a dream', 'Black Swan' then I doubt you will like this film. If you didn't find 'The Fountain' a total bore like I did and you like Bibical references then I think you will like this film. If you are still wanting to see this film, then you should but:

The thing about this film for me is the idea is a good one even though the Biblical plot (Genesis) has been used before. I just feel if it had been kept to 90 minutes then it would of been a more enjoyable experience and would be a film I would want to explore again.