|
Mandrill review
:. Director: Ernesto Díaz Espinoza
:. Starring: Marko Zaror, Celine Reymond
:. Running Time: 1:30
:. Year: 2010
:. Country: Chile
|
Mostly set in Lima, Peru, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza's Mandrill follows the adventures of a hitman as he attempts to both accomplish his contract and avenge the death of his parents at the same time.
A blend of over the top action and comedy, this production aims however more at being a James Bond parody than a spoof of hitmen movies. While turning professional killers into subjects for comedy proved to be a quite disastrous idea that Hollywood has been abusing, over and over, despite mediocre results, poking fun at the most famous secret agent and spy movies in general has been somewhat more successful, whether it's in terms of box office — the Austin Powers series — or critical acclaim — see the latest French OSS 117 series and the original Casino Royale.
The main issue that Mandrill was facing was of course to be jumping in a bandwagon, making it hard to find originality in a genre so easy to pastiche. To distinct itself from its predecessors, Mr. Espinoza plays it fully campy and transfers the usual setting, from exotic and luxurious lands to a third world like environment. The result is willingly cheesy, constantly winking at the camera while embracing the flaws of the genre.
In the title role, Marko Zaror, has arguably the look needed but his acting is robotic and he lacks the required intelligence and roughness — see instead what Mr. Jean-Paul Belmondo could do with such a role in Le Magnifique. As for his lover and nemesis, Céline Reymond, she can't pull off the dangerous glamour needed for such a character. As for the direction and cinematography, they look clumsy and, even if it's the result of a lack of budget, this isn't something that can be easily forgiven here — this amateurish approach could have probably worked for a spoof of cheap dramas or soaps — with which it shares the look and feel — but if you want to take on James Bond, you need at least to rise to its level, spectacle-wise … and it's far from being the case here …
While there are a few amusing moments here and there, most particularly when the hero's uncle gives some lessons of seduction, the low production values, laborious jokes and not so subtle cast are not able to uplift this film, turning it into exactly what it satirizes, a poor man's James Bond.
Fred Thom
 Movie Reviews: Chilean Films
read our Latest Movie Reviews
Movie Reviews since 2012
|
|
