Minnie Driver

Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose

19/11/23

Amazon Prime

There are are some so-called ‘true’ stories that, if presented as fiction, would simply be dismissed as sheer nonsense. And then there’s ‘Gef,’ the talking mongoose, alleged to have haunted the Irving family on the Isle of Man in the 1930s, a situation deemed credible enough to prompt esteemed investigators into travelling to the Irvings’ remote farmhouse in order to establish whether or not Gef is actually real. Even the BBC produced a film about him and, for a while his fame was widespread. My main reaction to the story is one of bewilderment: why did anyone take this blatant baloney seriously?

I’ve heard about the story previously, thanks to an episode of the podcast, No Such Thing as a Fish, so my interest is sparked when I hear about writer/director Adam Sigal’s feature film. However, the fact that it hasn’t troubled the cinemas but has been unceremoniously dumped onto Amazon Prime suggests that there can’t be much here to shout about and, sadly, this proves to be the case.

Respected psychological researcher, Doctor Nandor Fodor (Simon Pegg), receives a letter from the Irving family telling him all about their resident mongoose and, after consulting esteemed colleague, Harry Price (Chistopher Lloyd), who has also investigated the case without reaching a satisfying conclusion, Fodor is intrigued enough to travel to the Isle of Man, accompanied by his assistant, Anne (Minnie Driver), to whom he may or may not be attracted. (It speaks volumes about the storytelling when I have to report that I’m still not sure sure about that element.)

Once there, they meet the affable Mr Irving (Tim Downie) and the other members of his household, including his teenage daughter, Voirrey (Jessica Balmer), who makes no secret of the fact that she is an accomplished ventriloquist. (I know: suspicious, right?)

But Fodor’s subsequent attempts to get to the truth of the matter are met with a whole series of bewildering obfuscations. Is Gef real? (No.) Or is he a cunningly contrived hoax, designed to bring people to the Irvings’ remote farm for reasons that can only be guessed at? Normally in cases of deception, the idea is to generate money, but that certainly isn’t what’s happening here. While the Irvings are far from being destitute, they live a frugal existence.

Sigal’s film is certainly enigmatic and it’s also handsomely filmed, the era convincingly evoked thanks to Sara Deane’s assured cinematography – but the screenplay spends far too much time telling us about events that have happened off screen, whilst offering us only the barest glimpses of Gef (voiced by Neil Gaiman). Both Pegg and Driver do their best with their respective characters, despite being given so little to work with. In the end though, the biggest mystery of all is how this unremarkable little project managed to pull in such a strong cast.

By the time we reach the underwhelming conclusion, I’ve pretty much given up on the film, and that’s a shame. There’s something so off-the-wall captivating about its central premise, that I’m left with the powerful conviction that there’s surely a great film to be made about Gef and his escapades.

Sadly, this isn’t it.

2.8 stars

Philip Caveney

Chevalier

14/06/23

Cineworld, Edinburgh

Chevalier is the latest Hollywood film to cast light on an important Black historical figure, previously relegated to a footnote. It’s too little, too late of course, but at least it is a start…

Kelvin Harrison Jr plays the titular Chevalier, Joseph Bologne, a young Black prodigy. The illegitimate son of Georges de Bologne (Jim High), a wealthy plantation owner, and Nanon (Ronke Adekoluejo), an enslaved Senegalese woman, Joseph’s musical proficiency spurs his father to uproot him from Guadeloupe, dumping him in a posh Parisian conservatory, where his violin skills – and knowledge of courtly etiquette – can be honed. Fortunately for Joseph, he is as good with a foil as he is with a bow, and his ability to lunge and parry proves useful, both literally and metaphorically, as he tries to make his way in French society.

The mid-1700s were turbulent times in France, but – for much of this film’s duration – Joseph is closeted from the outside world. Instead, he is protected by his talents, roped in to tutor Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton), and fêted by the opera-loving toffs. It’s not all plain sailing, of course: there are repeated slights as well as some open hostility, but – for a while – things seem to be going his way. But when he throws his hat in the ring as a contender to lead the prestigious Paris Opéra, it soon becomes apparent that he has overstepped the mark, and that the establishment will not countenance what they perceive as his presumption. Time to take him down a peg or two, they decide, and a trio of divas, led by La Guimard (Minnie Driver), announce that they will never deign to take orders from a “mulatto”. Joseph appeals to his ally, Marie Antoinette, but she refuses to act. Perhaps he shouldn’t be surprised to learn that a monarch believes in birthright…

But perhaps the Queen shouldn’t be surprised to learn that a victim will want revenge, and that her rejection is the final straw. Nanon, newly freed and reunited with her son in France, has already made some headway educating him about the ways of the world. Now the scales have truly fallen from his eyes, and there is only one thing for it: the Chevalier must join the revolution.

Directed by Stephen Williams, this is a handsomely mounted film, Stefani Robinson’s script sticking largely to the facts, although there is a little artistic license taken with the central romance, with much made of the scant historical information available. Here, Joseph embarks on a doomed affair with Marie-Josephine (Samara Weaving), wife of the vengeful Marquise de Montalembert (Marton Csokas). I think this is a good idea as, although the characters are all well-drawn, and Harrison Jr is particularly compelling, there’s not an awful lot of plot here. This really is Chevalier‘s main problem: the middle third sags. Another strand would help enormously: I’d love to have learned more about Nanon, for example, and her journey from slave to free woman.

Nonetheless, this is a rewarding and informative film, which will hopefully help to restore Bologne’s name to the musical canon.

3.7 stars

Susan Singfield