Two Masterpieces, and a Good Time: Quiz Show, The Mauritanian, and Monkey Shines Review

I have been doing some shorter reviews online lately but decided to put them together here to have them on my blog, I have many others and I may include them at some point if I get to it. I watched three films recently and wanted to share my thoughts on them on my blog, though they may have less details than some of my other reviews based on them being from short posts.

Quiz Show (1994)

There is a perfect quote that encapsulates the message of this brilliant film succinctly:

"You know, it's not like the quiz shows are a public utility, sir. It's entertainment. We're not exactly hardened criminals here. We're, we're in show business."

Its an amazing achievement that a film about a scandal on a silly quiz show from the 1950's could have predicted the commercialization of daily life in the 21st century and the erosion of truth for the sake of growing the TV network's audiences. Robert Redford proves himself to be a great director based on this accomplishment alone. Really appreciated the editing here where sound was cut off when certain character's perspectives were given or intensity was added to scenes based on the angle of the camera. The script is likewise great, every conversation matters and no moment in the film is wasted or simply filler.

Rob Morrow is the star of this picture with his performance of the idealistic lawyer Dick Goodwin who is set on a quest to bring down NBC for its questionable practices. He does a great job portraying his character's descent where he becomes disillusioned with the world as he learns more about it. The most powerful message in this movie occurs when Morrow talks with Scorsese's character and comes to learn that while Morrow may put some heads on the chopping block during his legal crusade the machine will keep spinning regardless of all his efforts. Money talks at the end of the day.

Its hard to not see the parallel here with the Fox News scandal regarding Dominion voting systems where paying a fine and shuffling off some talking heads were the sum total of justice offered by the legal system while the network continues churning out "news" entertainment.

Ralph Fiennes is amazing here at playing the unenviable Charles Van Doren who is shown to go from reluctantly accepting his fraudulent success, becoming infatuated with his growing wealth, to accepting his misdeeds and offering himself to the whirlwind of repercussions he spun. John Turturro is also pretty great here at playing Herbie Stempel who the audience never truly understands and who comes off more as a charismatic enigma of a human being. Turturro's goal to bring Van Doren down to then empathizing with him when his downfall came was chilling.

Masterpiece is a word reserved for the best cinema has to offer, and I believe this movie deserves that praise. Brilliant retelling of factual events as a means of explaining their wider implications for the future. This movie deserves to be seen and should be praised after.

Here is the trailer for Quiz Show:

The Mauritanian (2021)

Exceptionally well made film about from the brilliant direction of Kevin Macdonald to the captivating performances by Tahar Rahim and Jodie Foster. The movie tells the story of one man who is wrongly imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay and the progressively awful treatment he was subjected to up to and including being tortured and abused by his captors. Rahim, who plays the man that is imprisoned, is the star of the film from the subtleties of his performance and intensity he brought with it, he steals every scene he is in. Shallene Woodley is also terrific in this at playing a lawyer led by emotion who fails to separate the human side from the legality of the situation which pitted her against Jodie Foster's opposite minded character. Woodley deserves higher praise and more fanfare, she always delivers.

Its a wonderful thing to watch a movie from a director that knows what they are doing. Brilliant use of changing aspect ratios here in that during the flashbacks the 4:3 aspect ratio was utilized to reflect of the harsh circumstance and lack of freedom Mohamedou experienced while imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay in that the black bars on the side of the screen encapsulate the image in contrast to the normal 16:9 aspect ratio which sprawls freely across the entire screen. These changes in aspect ratio are demonstrated in the above images where the first is of a flashback shown in the 4:3 aspect ratio while the second image is in the normal aspect ratio. The director also made great use of artistically showing Mohamedou's deteriorating mental state while he was progressively tortured such that his memory, the words being spoken to him, and fantasy blend together such that the audience can see the formation of a coerced false confession.

Benedict Cumberbatch's performance is shocking in that when he first appears with a thick American accent I could not help but think of Sergeant Candy in Terminator 3. Yet, Cumberbatch slayed this role where his patriotic ideals are undermined as he learns more about his nation and the awful things done in its name.

This is an important film that should be watched especially around this time of year where we will all again be reminded of the tragedy of 9/11 and the questionable response of the United States. Powerful performances and brilliant modern film direction make this a masterwork.

Here is the trailer for The Mauritanian

Monkey Shines (1988)

There is a certain magic in 1980's horror movies that cannot be replicated and this film has that specific quality, from the outlandish plot to the ridiculous violence, this is a fun movie regardless of any of its faults. The monkey though, is the star of the film.

The humans are good too as Jason Beghe does a great job here at playing a man coming to terms with his new reality after a life altering injury though the motivations of his character were murky at times but to no fault of his performance. Kate McNeil is good here as well as a monkey trainer of all things who becomes Jason's love interest. John Pankow was really good here as well as the neurotic scientist who is responsible for some questionable practices in the lab which alter the behaviour of the monkey for the worst. Stephen Root also makes an appearance but his character is never utilized well and is irrelevant which is a shame given his credentials as a talented actor capable of capturing a wide variety of roles on screen.

The highlight of the movie though is the monkey, he is adorable and beyond well trained. The monkey also gave a great performance, if that makes sense, as the primate brought a lot of emotion to the film. Tom Savini and George A Romero did a great job of showing fun point of view monkey shots. Not only did these creative choices add to the fun factor in the film but they also allowed the audience to empathize with the monkey, even after all the awful things he does. Seeing the little guy struggle to get a match to light or fight frantically with his owner, these battles make the audience empathize with his efforts such that the monkey is more than a simple cute horror movie villain, but something more memorable and even relatable. Here is a collection of some of my favourite moments the monkey had in the film and I hope you share in my enjoyment of these adorable yet horrible snapshots.

Is this a classic 1980's horror film, no. But that does not mean that it should be forgotten. This is a perfect film to round out your October horror marathon with its fun monkey perspective shots and close ups of prosthetic monkey hands trying to reach for weapons. This was also a unique story, though at times ridiculous, of a recently paralyzed man being aided by a monkey in reclaiming his freedom but also unlocking a dark side he never knew he had. Its just fun 1980's horror film.

Here is the trailer for Monkey Shines