Drowning Mona | | Cast : | Danny DeVito, Bette Midler | | Director : | Nick Gomez | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | March 03, 2000 | | DVD Released Date : | March 23, 2004 | | Language : | French (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 28, 2005 | | Summary | Dipper's How To Survive This DVD Guide | Content
 | Drink huge amounts of swill before (especially before), during and after this strong, strong candidate for worst movie of all time. My right thumb fingernail still hurts from trying to scratch all of the label paint off a Rolling Rock bottle while watching this horrific flick about Yugos. The only fleeting moment of joy in this dud was watching that harridan Bette Midler get bumped off literally. Oddly, I had a thought about my old girlfriend just then. Read the first sentence of this review again 24 times (that's one fine case) and your waiter The Dipper suggests a fine hefe-weizen for these hot days with a twist of lemon. 24 times. Get swigging, then get watching. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 17, 2005 | | Summary | Going Down For The Third Time | Content
| Read a sampling of reviews on this movie and you have to wonder: is it a black comedy or just a bad one. My own experience with DROWNING MONA was as mixed as the reviews below (and elsewhere). Call it "filmus interruptus," but I watched about half of the movie before I was sidetracked into doing something else. And for that first half, I found myself going along with the movie's black comedy and bleak vision of smalltown life. I understood, certainly, why so many people hated it, and I could sense that, yes, it was straining a bit too hard to be quirky. But I went with that and was able to enjoy it for what it was.
But spreading my viewing over the course of two days wound up spoiling it for me. By the time I got back to it, I could no longer get into it. The cast gamely tries to pull it off (and it is an impressive line-up, to be sure--Midler, DeVito, and Curtis are all comic veterans, and the younger crew, including Neve Campbell, Casey Affleck and Marcus Thomas acquit themselves well. But smalltown quirkiness has been done much better. Not everyone can be the Coen Brothers, of course, or even the Farrellys. DROWNING MONA has a few good chuckles, some memorable performances and a promising premise. But like so many recent "off beat" comedies, it never quites gets on track.
May be worth renting--or borrowing from the library. Not really a keeper though.
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| Rating | | | Date | May 01, 2005 | | Summary | PITCH BLACK COMEDY | Content
| There have been countless "dark comedies" over the years, but DROWNING MONA is one of the darkest. The movie is populated with characters who are hard to like; we find ourselves laughing along both at and with them, but it kind of makes you feel a little inhuman yourself.
Bette Midler, looking worse than ever, plays the titular character who gets offed in the beginning of the movie. Via flashbacks, we see a character who is so despicable, self-centered and heartless, that one wonders how she's survived this long. With no redeeming qualities, it's hard to worry about who killed her. The writers did throw in one key scene at a knife throwing contest where we get some inkling of what makes Mona tick. But even that's not enough to give us any sympathy for her demise. Her own husband and son could care less; in fact, they're grateful too. The movie is basically a one-joke premise given life by some wonderful bits by its players. Danny DeVito uncharacteristically underplays his role as the police chief; it's ironic considering the ferocity he gave his previous role with Midler in RUTHLESS PEOPLE. Sadly, the talented Midler doesn't look the least bit interested in her role. Neve Campbell and Jamie Lee Curtis, both talented actresses, try gamely but their characters are so cliche, one isn't impressed with their performances, although Curtis does have some funny moments with William Fichtner and Marcus Thomas. These two gentlemen are very good in their roles as Mona's husband and son, given the fact they are so unlikeable. Casey Affleck,looking a lot like Shaun Cassidy, is all moony-eyed but is good in letting his darker side out.
The movie is fascinating in its unabashed cruelty, and it has a wonderful background score including a host of songs by Three Dog Night. It's also funny seeing so many Yugos at one time, but one knows that a Yugo could never squeal tires in a car chase.
Dark and callous, DROWNING MONA will nevertheless keep you interested due to its fascinating premise. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 28, 2004 | | Summary | Drown this movie | Content
| What a dissapointment!!!! I never purchase a movie before I see it at least once. I thought becasue it had an all star cast that it would be very very good. WRONG!!!! I love Midler, Cambell, Curtis, and thought they were all misscast!!! I am a fan of dark humor but this one is pitch black!!! I had to see this movie to get at least some of my money back. I guess that I was following it until about the last 20 minuts of the show. Then it went to a totally different direction that was full of wine and cheese. {more cheese than wine} very sad movie that is supposed to be a comedy!!!! Skip this one you will be glad that you did.
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| Rating | | | Date | August 13, 2004 | | Summary | Many celebrities does NOT equal masterpeice. | Content
| I think this is one of the greatest examples of an all star cast gone wrong. The movie was NOT good at all. I have the VHS and I can't WAIT to get rid of it. The cast is full of great celebrities like Danny Devito and Bete Midler...but the story was so terrible. So boring!
I guess this movie was supposed to be dak comedy...but I didn't find myself laughing. I was yawning. |
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