Monkeys and Robots Movie Review

Well awhile back I was pleased to find a little independent horror flick Satans Whip. To say I was blown away is probably an understatement. So I have stayed in contact with the producer of that film Chris Benker for quite some time trying to help him out in anyway possible. One day he asked me about reviewing a film that he directed Monkeys and Robots.

Now normally I wouldn't like to be put in the situation where I don't like the movie and I have to give them an easy review. So I was alittle weary at first but I figured what the heck, I loved the film he produced so why not give him a shot. I'm really glad that I did that because once again his blending of 16mm and digital video completely caught me off guard and brought me instantly into the picture.

The film is really hard to explain in depth without giving to much away. Basically the film follows a couple groups of people that all have ties to one another. Robert is cheating on his wife with another woman. His wife, Maria, has an idea of what is happening but can't confront him about it and has been having somewhat of her own affair online. All while trying to care for their son Liam.

Roberts brother, Paul and his wife Wilma are both a kind of young rebelious couple. Paul sort of pushes Wilma along but she joins in most likely because of her love for Paul. All of these people run into several different problems and people that usually have some kind of weird tie in with technology.

Now to be honest while watching the film I had no idea of the undertones that Benker was trying to show me. The film is rather artsy but I think this film has a very interesting and strong script with believable dialogue and actors who really pull off the characters involved. I loved the film for the dramatic aspect that comes out in the film not for its undertones. The characters are almost like real people and it almost feels like I am watching a documentary on these peoples lives.

As I mentioned there is another level to this film that really flew over my head upon first viewing but I picked up on it upon the second. The core idea behind the movie is that we evolved from monkeys and as we have began to evolve further we are becoming more and more like robots. This would mean leaving our moraility at the door. Its actually quite evident with Roberts wife at the computer all the time, Roberts constant use of his cellphone, and Paul going on a spree trying to destroy all the ATMs in New York.

If you are really looking for a character driven drama this is definetly the movie for you. Its not to fancy and yes its a little artsy but it still has some fantastic dialogue that never goes over the top or to dramatic. Check this one out.