Monkey Warfare @ Possible Worlds
November 21st 2007 22:20
It stars Don McKellar and Tracy Wright as Dan and Linda, two middle-aged down-and-outers who spend their days riding around Toronto, looking for scrap and junk to sell as antiques on the Internet. They're burned out idealists, following the tracks they laid as youngsters, when they were idealistic and wanted to rebel against our materialistic, wealth-driven society.
They're a couple, but one that has grown so cold with each other that the entry of a young female dope dealer into their lives stirs things up. She flirts audaciously with Dan, who finds himself awakening to his dormant libido.
Dan and Linda are running from their past, when they were radical activists, following in the footsteps of the 60s activist groups that they idolized. In turn, Susan, the young dope dealer in tight denim shorts, falls in love with the idea of violent demonstration.
Monkey Warfare is a witty, strangely compelling film... while most movies are happy to glorify the idea of rebels and those who stand up against 'the Man', Harkema laughingly shows us the fallout... even hippies grow old and disenfranchised, and while turning your back on wealth and material greed is a good concept, the end result is inevitable poverty.
And so we see: Linda, weary of being poor, gets a dull office job with a charity she supports. Dan, though he's eschewed material wealth, has amassed a collection of priceless vinyl and first-edition books as his 'retirement fund'. It's an irony that's simultaneously depressing and comic.
McKellar is outstanding.. he's been on the Canadian circuit for years, and now he's playing a hybrid of Frank Zappa and a destitute Al Pacino. It's a good look, and he holds the attention of the camera with ease.
Monkey Warfare is an outstanding production, apparently filmed with $30 000 in two weeks. Harkema knows his craft, as the movie doesn't look rushed or underbudgeted, with the exception of some awkward dialogue by some of the actors. Instead we have one of the most exciting films of the year, filmed in gorgeous washed out DV video, replicating the look of the early 80s, but reflecting the distended ennui of Godard into a fascinating Canadian production.
I say: Highly, highly recommended... this is passionate cinema, and a fantastically entertaining feature.
See it for: Copious ganga and great images from 60s stock. Also, a great soundtrack.
*this image is from this York U page on one of the actors in the movie
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