Pros: Some funny moments, good cast, tries to be something different...
Cons: ... just not funny enough and too odd for its own good at times.
The Bottom Line: It's not a great movie by any means, but at least it makes a genuine attempt to be different. Drowning Mona is a very, very odd movie.
Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie''s plot.
Drowning Mona wasnt a particularly popular or, as far as I remember, very well advertised film made in 2000. Its not so much that its offbeat or surreal as just downright odd, and I think thats part of the reason for its lack of popularity. As for myself, I rather liked the fact that it was different to most films and quite enjoyed it, but perhaps not enough to want to watch it again. Then again
The plot is of a woman, Mona (Bette Midler) being murdered maybe and it is the thankless task of the police Chief Wyatt Rash (Danny DeVito) to find out if it was murder, and if so who the murderer is. This is made much more difficult due to the fact that she was extremely unpopular and almost everyone in the village had a motive for bumping her off. Compounding Rashs enquiry further are an incredibly inept police department and the fact that everyone in the village has their own, very different version of events both related and unrelated to the murder with no means of verifying the veracity of the stories. Affairs behind closed doors, and others that are presumed secret but arent, along with Rushs own daughter Ellen (Neve Campbell) getting involved in the case make the already difficult task of solving the murder become nigh on impossible
Despite a fair number of stars in this film (not only DeVito, Midler, and Campbell, but also Jamie Lee Curtis and Will Ferrell), Drowning Mona is a film Id barely heard of and one that was selling for just £1 at The Works. Director Nick Gomez has had quite a bit of success as a director of TV series (mainly detective or police series) but has been at the helm of few films. This film perhaps illustrates why he didnt seem to know quite what he was aiming for. The cast, both the stars and the lesser known actors, gave pretty good performances and the idea was quite intriguing, but far too many jokes and intended humorous scenes just fell completely flat. There were a few good laughs in here and a number of scenes where I was left wondering if I should be laughing or not. It would probably appeal to you if you have exactly the right sort of odd sense of humour, but it was very hit on my particular odd sense of humour. From the look of the series Gomez has directed I would say that he has a rather more serious style usually than was shown in this movie, which is perhaps part of the reason he didnt quite get it right here.
Drowning Mona wasnt a complete loss though. There were some funny parts and, though not all of it worked, at least it tried to do something genuinely different and was quite a refreshing change as a result. As a result it is marginally recommended, if youre bored of standard Hollywood fare watch this if youre in the mood for something a little unique. For a quid you wont be losing much money even if you end up hating it.
Rated PG-13 (12 in the UK though you may find the DVD version shows as 15, possibly due to language on the commentary track) for some thematic elements, language and brief sexuality. Not for younger children but not much potentially offensive content here. Runtime: 95 minutes.
If youre looking for something funnier, try one of my Top Ten Comedies.
Recommended:
Yes
Video Occasion: None of the Above Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older
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