THE MONSTER
(IL MOSTRO)
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.5 Alternative Scale: **1/2 out of ****
Italy, 1994 U.S. Release Date: beginning 4/96 (limited) Running Length: 1:52 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Sexual humor, profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Cast: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Michel Blanc Director: Roberto Benigni Producers: Yves Attal and Roberto Benigni Screenplay: Roberto Benigni and Vincenzo Cerami Cinematography: Carlo DiPalma Music: Evan Lurie U.S. Distributor: C/FP Distribution In Italian with subtitles
THE MONSTER is a mediocre motion picture wrapped around a number of very good scenes. Starring Italian comic sensation Roberto Benigni (JOHNNY STECCHINO, SON OF THE PINK PANTHER), this enjoyable-but- inconsistent slapstick farce rolls through peaks and valleys of laughter. When it's funny, it's very funny; when it's not, it borders on tiresome.
Benigni is a gifted physical comic with a manic style incorperating elements from the repertories of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, John Cleese, Steve Martin, and Robin Williams (to name a few). There's no doubt that THE MONSTER was designed as a showcase for Benigni -- after all, he not only stars in it, but he also directed, co-wrote, and co- produced it. From beginning to end, this film offers a sample of his considerable talents.
The plot borders on irrelevant -- it's just a useful envelope for a number of variably funny sketches. When THE MONSTER opens, we learn that there's a serial rapist/killer on the loose. Over a span of 12 years, he has killed 18 women, and the police have become desperate to get their man. Aided by a profile compiled by the psychiatrist (Michel Blanc) assisting on the case, the cops begin a comprehensive search for this monster, this "Mozart of vice." Through a series of bizarre coincidences (which I won't describe here, since they wouldn't be funny in print, but are on screen), a nerdy, out-of-work, petty thief named Loris (Benigni) is pegged as the chief suspect. An attractive female police officer (Benigni "regular" Nicoletta Braschi) is sent under cover to use her charms to catch Loris red-handed.
THE MONSTER starts out slowly, with only a few sparse laughs during the 30-minute setup. After that, however, it's a roller coaster ride, with the lulls coming as unwanted distractions between comic peaks. There's a lot of sexual humor here, but, unlike American productions, where such comedy usually consists of a few stale, dirty jokes, Benigni's material is fresh, uninhibited, and sidesplittingly funny.
As a curious aside, it should be noted that because this film was released into the mainstream Italian market, where it became a huge hit, it's in Italian. However, four of the actors (including Michel Blanc) either don't speak the language, or speak it poorly. As a result, their voices were dubbed into Italian, and the poor synchronization of speech creates an unintentionally amusing side effect -- a subtitled movie with embedded dubbing.
THE MONSTER is Roberto Benigni's film, and, watching him roar through it like a tornado, it's easy to understand his immense international appeal. Whether ogling women, disposing of a dead cat, fending of Nicoletta Braschi's advances, or dousing a (literal) fire in his pants, the actor is a delight to watch, and THE MONSTER is worthwhile because of him. This isn't a masterpiece of comedy, but there are enough hilarious moments to earn it a lukewarm recommendation.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net web: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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