THE MONKEY'S MASK A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2001 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2
Samantha Lang's THE MONKEY'S MASK is about nudity and bad poetry -- really bad poetry. The nudity is in the context of a lesbian affair that's about as convincing as a Playboy photo shoot. There is also a murder mystery of sorts, but, with the film going in what feels like slow motion, you'll probably not care. If the film works for you at all, it's likely to be as a guilty pleasure for the eye candy it parades before you. There may be little genuine chemistry between the two leads, Susie Porter, a petite woman with reddish brown hair and a million freckles, and Kelly McGillis (WITNESS), who is over a head taller and much older, but you can't deny that they both look terrific in the buff.
As the story starts, private investigator Jill Fitzpatrick (Porter) is asked to investigate the disappearance of Mickey Norris (Abbie Cornish), a college student and the story's worst poet. When Jill goes to interview Mickey's poetry professor, Diana Maitland (McGillis), she quickly gets the hots for her. Although it is clear that the professor is a prime suspect in Mickey's disappearance, Jill and Diana spend much of the movie naked in each other's arms. At one point, the professor compliments Jill's ability in bed while mocking her detective skills. So true. Jill could have had a great retort given that the professor's success in developing young poets was pretty laughable.
The director never gets a credible performance out of any of the actors. It is as if she kept forgetting to yell, "Action!" before having the cameras roll. Speaking of cameras, Garry Phillips's cinematography is the one bright spot of the movie. Using a blend of extreme close-ups set off center and stunning widescreen shots, he creates a look that's much better than the material deserves.
Of course, the lack of chemistry in what is really a lesbian love story, not a murder mystery, is the movie's biggest problem. But beyond that there are so many smaller problems that begin to grate on you. The clichés abound. When we get to see the college student's bedroom, it is filled to overflowing with teddy bears like a little girl's room in order to emphasize her vulnerability. The dialog is not only trite and overblown -- "You lesbo!" being one insult -- but hard to catch since the actors have a proclivity for speaking only in whispers. On the other hand, maybe missing some of the lines isn't such a bad thing after all. Missing the entire movie, however, would be a better idea.
THE MONKEY'S MASK runs a long 1:33. It is not rated but would probably be NC-17 for strong sex scenes, pervasive nudity, language and some violent images. It would be acceptable for high school seniors and older.
The film is playing in limited release now in the United States. In the Silicon Valley, it is showing at the Camera Cinemas.
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