Search - Monkeys and Robots on DVD

Excellent Indie Film

Jason E. Maran | West Caldwell, NJ USA | 12/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Monkeys and Robots" is a very fine independent film that chronicles the breakdown and alienation of a middle-class family without resorting to the facile cliches of so much Sundance hackwork or the smugness of the truly loathsome "American Beauty." The world-view on display is admittedly bleak, for it presents a society in which technology offers empty connections and ideology stifles relationships. Characters are adrift as they try to reconcile their own impulses with the cold, hard demands of society. This may make the picture sound like a tough slog, but it's anything but that. The presentation of these ideas is articulate, rigorous and so well integrated into the fabric of the narrative that the film feels neither didactic nor pretentious. There are also some very humorous scenes involving a rather lazy young Marxist, who takes hand-outs from his brother while planning to destroy every ATM in New York City. The performances are uniformly excellent as is the camera work. I would recommend this to anyone interested in art films in general, and, particularly, the films of Michelangelo Antonioni and Robert Bresson. It's a sin to invoke the names of those giants when discussing unworthy works, but here it's appropriate."

Something for Everyone

S. A. Berman | New York, NY United States | 12/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was reading a review posted on this site and I have to say, I am not a huge fan of Bresson and I like Hollywood pictures and I still really enjoyed this film.
The characters are well-rounded and the story is very interesting. And, yes, if you are interested in art films - you will certainly enjoy this film. It is beautifully paced and extremely well shot.
There is something for everyone.
Check it out."