Bonobo

As I walked out of the cinema after seeing Bonobo I felt abuzz with a warm glow. The thing about this film is that it is so human, focusing on such an accessible topic; yet one that I imagine most people don't think about much, which is the point. Matthew Knott captures the vibe of a sexually-active hippy commune masterfully, in both a funny and serious way. For me, the film is a celebration of the joy and pain of self-discovery; something we can all relate to. The acting was nuanced and believable, similarly the script, the music was sublime, and the cinematography simple but effective. Due to its daring subject matter, choice of lead actors, and honest execution this film deserves success.

Although the movie has an interesting premise - a human community organized to mimic the social lifestyle of the Bonobos, where social problems are resolved with sex - it doesn't do anything with this wonderful gem of an idea. I mean, think about it - a stuck-up mother joins a group of young sex freaks living freely like Bonobos. Free love ensues. A great idea! What could go wrong, right?

Unfortunately it's not enough to show cardboard characters hugging, and occasionally having all-out sex, to make an interesting movie. The shoehorned-in character development only makes it worse. The end result would have been acceptable as an oddball episode in some long- running TV drama-comedy series - but not as a feature film.

Everything is substandard. Starting with the script, which is truly appalling. The directing is ho-hum at best. There is no vision. Shots are boring. There's too much repetition, not enough development. Just drab scenes punctuated by contrived plot twists.

The only real saving graces of the film are the actors and actresses - especially the two leading ladies - who do their best with what they've been given. Unfortunately the characters are stereotypes, the story is laughable, and their problems are perfectly contrived and predictable. The plot points are copy-pasted from some Guinness Book of Movie Clichés, and the dialogue feels wholly unnatural.

It would be hard for me to recommend this movie for most people, based on my personal experiences alone. But I must confess some people seemed to like it in the theater. Laughter ensued. Perhaps they had left their critical hats at the door. That's all fine.

Let us give the movie benefit of the doubt. While the script and the directing fall sadly short of acceptable, the movie has some charm and comedic value, and a few good performances. So it might be tolerable entertainment, completely devoid of deeper thought, for those poor souls not expecting much more than an OK one-liner - humans behaving like horny monkeys - extended to ridiculous lengths.

Yes, the premise is a good one; and it is a rare film that passes the Bechdel test with such flying colours, having women in both lead parts (and over forty to boot). It also has commendable themes – redemption/middle age/self discovery – which are not obvious topics for a comic treatment, yet are treated here with sensitivity. I came to this having seen Knott's 'On this island' on Channel 4 a few weeks earlier, which also had a serious point, but the delivery of that message was much more obviously comic. Bonobo is not just a laugh-a-minute film, and there are passages where the darker side takes over; but the dialogue is snappy there is a feel good energy throughout. This was an impressive cast and the acting was subtly nuanced. I had only seen Josie Lawrence and Tessa Peake-Jones playing it for laughs before, but I enjoyed the greater range they were able to show here; and their performances took the honours. Overall, an enjoyable and thought-provoking movie. And, judging by the audience's reaction during the showing, not just for me.