La scimmia impazzita

Jeff Goldblum is a good actor. He has his typical way and sure enough this movie demonstrates his skills. However, the script is not well made. There is some interesting dialog, but there are many parts that should have been explained in more detail. The Paris scenery hadn't been used to an advantage; it could have taken place in any other city. The rest of the cast was simply poor; it explains why the other actors never hit it big. The worst part of the movie is the story itself; it's quite boring and one had wished a point or moral question would be addressed. The music was very wrong as well. It was out dated, even for 1980, and bad timing. The whole movie fails miserably in delivering a message or story telling. They posted this movie as a thriller, which puts the viewer in a wrong state of mind. It definitely was not worth my time. I voted 3/10.

The plot: Writer, Dan Gillis, is hired to write a script for a money obsessed producer and a half-crazed director (and subsequently his sister) He soon realizes something is wrong, and that this film should not have been written. This leads to a confusing, and enigmatic journey trough the dark alleys of Paris. Greed, lust and insanity shows itself at very corner, and the movie becomes more about anything else than the movie itself. We never actually see the movie, and with good reason, instead we are left with an idea of a; half-pornographic, psychotic and depressing storyline. But, as many got wrong, it's not about the movies, the film is about people, their greed, lust and insanity, their madness and they way nothing is as it seems. Beware! It's one of those films where you can't trust anybody (except Jeff of course)

I can't see how nobody likes this. Obviously if you are looking for Die Hard or a commercial action thriller you ARE going to be let down. This is nothing of the sort. It's an: intelligent, fascinating, psychotic, confusing, disturbing and utmost bizarre story. Then again isn't life all those things?

The film is wonderfully executed, with fascinating shots and angels. If I would complain about anything it's the quality of film, and the fact that 90% of all scenes are faded out, which gives it an amateurish feel. But maybe that's what they wanted.

This is a different movie, an almost neorealistic movie, it's a masterpiece of writing, and the acting is superb.

I suggest you set of one evening to see this film. Preferably a dark a rainy night, cause this will scare the living daylight out of you.

One thing a commenter commented was: it constantly leads to something and then stops. Some may not like this, I thought it was incredible. It's slightly Wagnerian! (Lot's of huffs and puffs, lots of build up, and never any release, never any release of the climax, it just lingers in the air until it fades away.)

If you like realistic yet bizarre films, if you like a great story see this!

This movie holds your interest for quite a while, with its eccentric and enigmatic characters, atmospheric direction and first-rate acting by Jeff Goldblum and Miranda Richardson (Lisa Walker is kind of weak though, as the nymphet). But eventually it becomes clear that the story leads nowhere. Its "title history" is a giveaway: you can find it listed under either "The Mad Monkey" (unattractive and meaningless - it's only the title of a fictional movie we learn nothing about) or "Twisted Obsession" (more "suggestive" and commercial)....but actually it doesn't matter what it's called, because it ultimately isn't ABOUT anything in particular. (**)

An excellent movie, but not for everyone. Trueba's tinges of black humour cover a plot of sex, heroin and the not making of a movie. Liza Walker has an astounding performance as a young femme fatale. It's a pity her filmography is so short.

This is a very dark film, with a strange suspense. You really never know where the film is heading. But this is one of its merits.

And yes, in some countries (such as Mexico) unclaimed corpses are given away to medical schools and kept in huge translucid pools of formaldehyde, before they're given to students. Where do you think doctors-to-be get the bodies they train from, 1-800-deathpeople?

I saw this film as part of a set of cheap-o movies. So far, the films in the collection had been total crap.

Then I dropped this one into the player and did a double-take when I first noticed that the dialog and acting were both good.

The next question that popped into my head was, "Am I imagining things, or is this movie also well shot and well lit?" Followed shortly by, "You know, I think this is actually a good film." By the time it reached the scene where Goldblum started screaming, I was totally sold. What a wicked little movie.

1989 was a bad year for film, so I certainly wish I had known about this one back then.