The Grim Adventures of Red and Mandy

-



By Tom Pacak

I don’t even know where to start with Panos Cosmatos sophomore effort “Mandy,” a balls to the wall stylish action revenge thriller about a man who destroys life after life has destroyed him. Director Panos Cosmatos is one of those directors that requires you to watch his work first before you start analyzing. His directorial debut “Beyond the Black Rainbow” was inconsistent with its plot but a visual treat for film lovers. Same goes for “Mandy.” Nick Cage gets to do what he does best, going over-the-top to the point where it’s laughable, relatable, and sad. He’s the only actor of his generation who’s able to possess this rare talent. Whether he’s in a good movie (Adaptation. a movie with not only one Nick Cage, but two) or a bad movie (The Wicker Man, OH NOT THE BEES), I always enjoy watching this guy go in Nicholas Rage mode.

Set in 1983 AD, Red (Nicolas Cage) is a lumberjack working in the Shadow Mountains. The opening credits paint Red as a tough working rock in the roll loving badass. He’s chopping down trees during the day and spending time with his amazing wife, Mandy (Andrea Riseborough). When together, the two spend time watching TV and sharing stories about their childhoods. A scar under Mandy’s left eye and stories she tells Red suggest that she had a rough childhood. The first act of the film moves very slow, in fact, a little too slow. That’s one thing I’ve noticed about Panos Cosmatos’s works, he’s a guy that likes to take his time getting the plot in gear. I wouldn’t mind this if his slow scenes were actually good scenes. A lot of the scenes here seem just there, they really add nothing to the plot.

Things get started when a deviant cult led by Jeremiah Sand (Linus Roache), become attracted to Mandy after seeing her walk to work. The other cult member consists of Brother Swan (Ned Dennehy), Brother Hanker (Alexis Julemont), Brother Klopek (Clement Baronnet), Mother Marlene (Olwen Fouere), and Sister Lucy (Line Pillet) who seems trapped inside the cult’s evil environment. The cult gets the help of the Black Skulls, a gang of demonic and cannibalistic bikers (don’t ask). This horrendous act of violence sets up the remainder of the film. After grieving and tending his wounds, Red goes on an all-out vengeance to kill the cult and Black Skulls. “Oh, have they wronged you,” a mysterious chemist (Richard Brake) tells Red after seeing the blood and rage on his face. This is probably the strangest scene out of many to come out of this film. There’s also a badass chainsaw fight that belongs in the Nick Cage time capsule!

The film works because its lead actor is Nicolas Cage. Panos Cosmatos properly knows how to use Nick Cage in a way most directors don’t. Red’s rage moments are very justified but also very funny. I couldn’t help myself from laughing even though I probably shouldn’t have. Violence has disrupted Red’s life and I sit there laughing at his grieve. But I think that’s the point of “Mandy,” that even though you are grieving, a lot of people don’t care. This a very sad movie about losing life soaked in ridiculousness and funny one-liners from Nick Cage. “You are such a snowflake,” Red tells one of the bikers after ripping his shirt.


I think it’s also appropriate that the late Jóhann Jóhannsson (Sicario, Arrival) should get a shoutout for his brilliant score. It really captures the hallucinogenic world that Red and the villains are stuck in. It’s also a brilliant reminder that the cinematic universe lost a great talent way too soon. That alone should warrant "Mandy" a watch. 

 

Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars

 

Note: Now Playing in Theaters and On Demand

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Best Movies of the 2010s

-
Image
By Tom Pacak This list is easily the hardest movie-ranking list I’ve had to do. It requires a lot of movie watching from the past ten years and it’s so hard to choose when there were so many mind-blowing movies that came out. The 2010s in cinema really helped paint a broad picture of who we are today. These films gave a different light to ideas that are both old and new. The ten films on my list are not only important now but will be remembered in the upcoming years. Without further ado, here are my favorite movies of the 2010s. 1.      The Social Network (2010):   “The Social Network” is the best movie of the decade. No film defined the 2010s more accurately than David Fincher’s brilliant biopic. Since its inception, Facebook has changed expeditiously over the years. Some cases for the better and some cases for the worst. It has helped connect people who haven’t seen each other in years and has also divided us when discussing political issues. Aaron’s Sorkin’s
Read more

We Need To Talk About Joe

-
Image
                                                                            By Tom Pacak Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), the main protagonist of “You Were Never Really Here”, is a man damaged by his past. Most of the film we rarely see Joe on screen, instead we live in Joe’s compressed head which is always in a state of trauma. We get flashbacks of Joe’s abusive childhood and violent memories from his work in the FBI and military. He is clearly a man suffering from PTSD. Think of Joe as Freddie Quill from " The Master" but minus the alcohol.   Joe is the center of “You Were Never Really Here” a film based off of the novel by Jonathan Ames. Since being retired from the FBI and the military, Joe works as a hired gun to rescue victims of sex trafficking.   Joe has a long beard and almost looks like a homeless person. The first scene we meet Joe he is finishing a job in New York City. Once he puts on his hoodie, Joe goes full throttle on anybody who stands in his wa
Read more

Do a Good Turn Daily

-
Image
By Tom Pacak A Scout is: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. As an Eagle Scout, I remember citing this law after every Scout meeting. It's an oath that we treat all of those with love and respect. Nobody was ever an exception to this law. I thought of The Scout Law while watching Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace,” a compassionate tale of a veteran, Will (Ben Foster) and his daughter, Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) living off the grid in Portland, Oregon. The law is shown in every frame of the film, whether it’s the caring people at social services, a cautious truck driver who drives them to Washington, or a group of folks living in the woods of Washington. All of the people here know where Will and Tom are coming from. In a cynical world where these two would easily be brushed off, instead, they’re taken in with open arms. The outlook on human connection is very positive here.  In the beginning, Will
Read more