Mandy

Oh, no, not this. Again, one of those films that critics praise to the skies but is literally painful for the average viewer. Nicolas Cage is a dead actor for me, this guy won't be in a good movie anymore and he certainly can't act. The strange pink and red filter covering the financial shortcomings was annoying, absolutely nothing happens for an hour, and if by some miracle you are still awake after an hour and not completely disgusted, you won't find much satisfaction in the second one either. I suffered, I went crazy, this is not for me. 35% (2018-09-16)

Nicolas Cage is a bit like fire — great when controlled, but disastrous if left unchecked. Luckily, Panos Cosmatos knows how to harness Cage’s unique style, and it really shows in this film. It almost feels like the role was tailor-made for him. Mandy is a niche film, definitely not for the average viewer. Its pacing is unusual and quite drawn out, so you either vibe with its style or find yourself suffering through it. The film’s drug-fueled, transcendent atmosphere is worth mentioning — it's hard to tell what reality the story is set in, but that’s part of its charm. The standout feature, of course, is the one and only Nick Cage. While he's not in the spotlight much during the first half, the second half is all about him, and Cage turns into a total badass, delivering wild, intense scenes and brutal, sharp dialogue. Mandy is an artfully shot grindhouse film with cult potential, aimed at a very specific audience. (2018-07-05)

Panos Cosmatos exorcises the genre demons of his childhood (his father is the director of Rambo II and Cobra) with a trash revenge story transformed into a mystical psychotropic epic. The film completely fulfils Alejandro Jodorowsky’s dictate "I ask of film what most North Americans ask of psychedelic drugs". Nicolas Cage is promoted to the role of a visual artifact in an airbrushed scene from the side of a van brought to life. Nevertheless, proclamations that Cage has reached the maximum level of madness in his acting are rather overwrought – in this respect, the second Ghost Rider still holds the lead. (2018-07-04)

It's like Jodorowsky fathered a child with Panos's daddy George. Definitely a distinctive film, visually impressive, from a man with a vision. Interesting color palette, functionally applied filters, but at least in the first half (which many here criticize, but I liked it better) brimming with atmosphere and remarkable visual ideas, all underscored by a unique soundtrack. The second half is grindhouse carnage, uncompromisingly straightforward and simple, but still retaining a visual identity. The half-deranged Cage is a casting triumph, Riseborough has something magical in his intriguing, deadpan face, and Roache is a charismatic villain but also a woefully comic figure, and this is not an easy thing to grasp as an actor. Mandy is a remarkable film, it's not for everyone, certainly not for the mainstream, but it beats with the heart of a filmmaker who’s not bland and loves to tell simple stories through atmospheric imagery. PS: I enjoyed it even more on a second screening. This film is so out of step with 99% of filmmaking, and yet it's not stupid; hats off to it. I'm not surprised by the worldwide enthusiastic critical response (currently 8.2 on Metacritic) and I’m happy for Cosmatos from the bottom of my heart. (2018-09-16)

Weird. Very. While I liked the colorful hypnotic atmosphere supported by Jóhannsson's unsettling music, With its mysticism, overwrought monologues and dialogue, excessive running time, and the wait for a final showdown that was ultimately the most boring scene of the entire film, I was ultimately disappointed by Mandy. And I hadn't even expected anything from it in the first place. (2020-07-30)