Manodrome

Manodrome is an entertaining take on the toxic masculinity. Jesse Eisenberg alongside Adrien Brody and Odessa Young deliver stellar performances, though, the movie takes so many wild turns by the end, it loses some credibility and could even make you laugh, like it did for me.

The idea was there, and the direction was also promising. For the first half of the movie, I could feel what Ralphie, the main character, was going through. The frustration was crystal clear, and Jesse fantastically portrayed a person trying to handle it by himself. Yet, at one point, the density of dramatic scenes and explosive, reckless actions taken by him turned out to just be too much.

Although I must say, while Manodrome didn't exactly work for me, it kept me engaged until the end, thanks to a stellar mix of great acting, music, and cold, almost raw shots.

On top of that, it's a movie that provoked the most different reactions to it. I experienced it at a movie festival in Wroclaw, and during the whole event, no other film sparked so many different opinions. That is why, even though I felt it was decent personally, I think it should be seen if you have the chance.

John Trengrove's "Manodrome" is an incel-era update of "Fight Club," a story of an average guy whose inner demons are unleashed when he meets a group of men trying to reclaim their perceived place in the world. "Manodrome" weaves modern themes like the emergence of toxic incels across the internet into a tale of a loner who becomes emboldened by the wrong people, echoing "Taxi Driver" as much as the Chuck Palahniuk classic but failing to tie any of its hot-button issues into a coherent statement or character study. It's a hollow provocation with about as much to say about the human condition as an internet troll who learned a few buzzwords this morning and wants to spew them at somebody to feel superior. The cast gives their all, but the film ultimately has nothing to offer.

In dark dramatic thriller "Manodrome" troubled East-Coast blue-collar gym-rat Jesse Eisenberg (excllent - and ripped, as never seen before) struggles to cope mentally & financially with losing his job while girlfriend Odessa Young is nine months pregnant - and his psychological state sure ain't calmed by falling in with Adrien Brody's mysoginistic cult (with the likes of Ethan Suplee) that sparks him into rapidly spiralling volatility & violence. In his first US film, South African writer/director John Trengove packs a raw punch, with originality (while drawing inspiration from great movies like "Taxi Driver" & "Fight Club"). It'll not be for all, but is well worth seeing.

Eisenberg and Brody are great actors, and are also great here. Eisenberg portrayed a complex, unpredictable uncomfortable character. It's not like fight club, not about toxic masculinity. It's about a deeply disturbed and shy man who's life is not under control and he gets involved with this group who are supportive and feel themselves outcasts from society, but seems he doesn't even connect with them too well. It's not bloody or excessively violent, though it is a bit dark in places and a few people are shot.

To be honest, it felt very original, but also quite risky from the director. The main character is obviously struggling with some inner demons, but we never find out what that is, and though there are strong hints, the film in many ways felt in-conclusive. In some ways this was good - it's like life; we rarely find easy solutions. There were some unexpected turns of event in the film, and there is a sense of underlying theme of men caring for and feeling the suffering of other men, and the struggle that men have in a society controlled by women's desires and needs. However, it didn't feel like a single story in the end, but more like a snapshot into some messed up kids life as he struggles to deal with his feelings of worthlessness. If it a good movie? It's different, I think it's something that could be studied in a film class, but fundamentally I think many people will find it a little depressing, inconclusive and unsatisfying. I'm glad I watched it, but you're not going to finish the film feeling upbeat or happy.

There were times when they used to produce movies like Fight Club.

Now they spend $24m to waste our time with some nonsense script.

It's not the first time for Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg to play an unlikeable, confused, and soulless person, but what happened to Adrien Brody? Didn't he win an Oscar for the Pianist, at least that was 20 years ago ... I guess some actors don't read their scripts anymore before accepting their $400k roles.

I usually watch the movies to the end to make up my mind but had to stop watching this one after 30 minutes since I could not relate to any of the characters in this movie.