By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.75
Director: Quentin Dupieux
Starring: Adèle Exarchopoulos | Bruno Lochet | Coralie Russier | David Marsais | Grégoire Ludig | India Hair | Raphaël Quenard | Roméo Elvis
Original language title: Mandibules
Country: belgium, france
Year: 2021
Running time: 77
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10375106/reference
Michael says: “Most of French director Quentin Dupieux’s films begin with a simple, but completely bizarre and often ridiculous premise, that he is then able to spin into an entertaining yarn with some social commentary threaded in. With MANDIBLES, a film I had been greatly looking forward to after seeing that trailer last ear, it’s the first time I was disappointed by the result. Going for broad, nearly slapstick comedy, I unfortunately found the film to be rather boring, and its brief, 77 minute running time dragged by. The premise is simple and absurd (check!). Two sad-sack nitwits take on a heist-for-hire job to make $500. The one thing they need is a car with a trunk… which they don’t have, so Manu decides to steal one. While driving he hears a strange buzzing coming from the trunk, and when he finally take a look he finds a fly the size of a german shepherd. while most people would recoil in horror, Manu and his buddy Jean-Gab, instead come up with a scheme to train the fly to steal from them and make them even richer. What follows is a serious of ridiculous adventures that largely revolve around keeping the fly hidden from the people they encounter, all while training the fly, and trying to keep her (they name the fly Dominique) and themselves, fed. Along the way, they do encounter a group of young folks on vacation, and one of the has a rather odd and amusing affliction. She is unable to speak without shouting, which makes for some awkward, and ridiculously silly exchanges, but the novelty wears off as many of the gags do.
“I’m not sure what it was about MANDIBLES that didn’t live up to the similarly silly WRONG, RUBBER, or DEERSKIN, but it just couldn’t sustain my amusement. As we discussed the film, I was reminded of some funny sequences, but while watching they didn’t move me enough to make the film interesting. I think the bumbling antics of the two protagonists reminded me too much of Hollywood buddy comedies, a la BILL & TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE that leave me rather cold 2 cats”
Chris says: “OK Quentin Dupieux, I’ll watch a movie this stoopid but only one this laugh-out-loud funny and (occasionally) inspired with a commitment that transcends such stupidity. Either way, worth seeing for Adèle Exarchopoulos’s performance, itself also totally, maniacally committed. 3.5 cats“