MPAA Rated: Unrated, but
undoubtedly would be R for strong sexuality involving teens, thematic
material, and language
Running Time: 100 min.
Cast: Jeremy Davies, Alberta Watson,
Benjamin Hendrickson, Carla Gallo, Judette Jones, Richard Husson
Director: David O. Russell
Screenplay: David O. Russell Review published December 23, 2013
Spanking
the Monkey will probably be most notable for today's viewers for
being the first feature film to be written and directed by future
Academy Award-winning auteur David O. Russell (Flirting
with Disaster, Three Kings). In
addition to its provocatively euphemistic title, it's also of note for
the controversial central storyline involving the incestuous feelings
that emerge between a bored, unhappy and injured housewife and her
impressionable college-age son.
Jeremy Davies (Twister,
Saving Private Ryan), who was
offered the role after being spotted in a Subaru Impreza commercial,
plays that MIT pre-med student, Raymond Aibelli, who finds himself
having to stay at his childhood home in Connecticut a lot longer than
he bargained for when his hot-headed salesman father Tom (Hendrickson,Consenting Adults)
forces him to attend to his ailing mother, rather than going to
Washington D.C. to intern with the office of the Surgeon General for
the summer. Ray must assist his mother Susan (Watson, The Sweet Hereafter), who is
suffering from a broken leg and depression, to go to the restroom,
take a shower, and rub lotion on her aches, though the lack of sexual
activity (the dog seems to have a knack for interrupting his only
moments alone -- why he doesn't try anywhere else in this house while
his mother can't get up from bed is anyone's guess) hasn't helped take
his mind off of the nearly naked woman who is in front of him every
day, confusing his emotions. His confusion is exacerbated further when
a younger local high school student named Toni (Gallo,MI3)begins to flirt with him,
while the friends he left behind in the small town also get him into
their own brand of trouble.
Spanking the
Monkey reminds me of The Graduate, but with the mother
in the Mrs. Robinson role. While the subject matter is taboo, Russell
isn't trying to push buttons of sensationalism or drum up publicity
for his film through sheer controversy. It's not an easy film to
describe. Some might see the film as a straight drama, while others
will view it as a black comedy. Either way, Russell succeeds in
delivering a thoughtful film that, while some may be turned off by the
subject matter, still commands attention for Russell's strong
emphasis on characters and their understated interactions.
Davies delivers a
fine performance as Ray, who is introverted and vulnerable, and
clearly unable to handle the variety of emotions and frustrations that
continue to rear their ugly head, eventually threatening to come to a
boiling point as his hopes and dreams in life are replaced by the
nightmare of having to extend his stay in a place he clearly doesn't
want to be. 'Anywhere but here' is his new mantra, but doors of
opportunity open and shut just as quickly, even literally in one key
scene. Alberta Watson is underrated as Ray's manipulative mother,
shrewish in her resolve, yet sympathetic and sensual when she needs to
be, while also knowing how to get her way. The contempt she has for
herself and her life spills over into trying to make sure that those
around her are just as miserable as she is, especially given that her
selfish husband leaves her alone for long periods to fend for herself.
Spanking the
Monkey is not an easy film to recommend to just anyone, given its
subject matter and darkness in the delivery. It's an unhappy story
about an unhappy family, though the film isn't without its moments of
humor to give the drama some occasional levity. Fans of David O.
Russell may find it worth a look for an example of his early work, showing his finesse with actors and a
mastery of tone, skirting the line between comedy and drama that he
would only perfect with each successive film. Those who enjoy the
acting style of Jeremy Davies will enjoy him in a fine performance
that shows he doesn't always have to play a crackpot in films.
Underneath the dark humor and wrenching
family drama, there's a cautionary tale about the danger of untreated
mental illness (Susan laughs at the psychiatrist who suggests it in
one key scene), and how contagious the aftereffects of trauma can
truly be to a dysfunctional family at the end of their wits.
Spanking
the Monkey will probably be most notable for today's viewers for
being the first feature film to be written and directed by future
Academy Award-winning auteur David O. Russell (
