What I expected of this after seeing the trailer, I'm not sure. I guess I was hoping that James Franco would somehow have created a movie with a purpose. I thought, at worse, this movie would be so bad, it would be good. But this movie was so bad it 360'd back to bad. Why? Well, in most movies there's a suspension of disbelief, a relation to a character that makes you feel something, and a plot. This movie has maybe 1 of those 3. I really tried to get myself to believe that the character Harry was seriously living with an ape, but for many many reasons (one being that in 50% of the shots you could see straight through the ape mask) I was struck with the notion that James Franco just didn't know he was even in this movie. I'm pretty sure there were only 2 enjoyable moments in this movie. One was because I can't remember being able to use the phrase "apesh*t" and mean it in the most literal sense. The second was when the film inspired my friend to say "He literally **bleeped** Dostoevsky in the face". In the end, there was no "a-ha" moment that made me realize all the inaneness was worth it. But because this movie inspired me to bake both banana cookies and banana bread, I will give it three stars.
19 Reviews
Monkey Around
NoDakTatum29 November 2023
Actor James Franco makes his directorial debut with a pretentious film that only sometimes works as an office comedy. Harry (James Franco) is a frustrated novelist who worships Dostoevsky but has little time to write. He leaves his wife and son temporarily and moves into a New York City apartment. Not reading the lease's fine print, Harry finds himself living with a talking ape (Brian Lally). Harry begins to accept Ape, who begins to help Harry see his life and relationships differently.
Franco also co-wrote the play the film is based on, but every scene involving the Ape fails miserably. Wisely, the film makers merely put an ape mask on actor Lally, letting the audience find its own reality in the main plot. This "Theatre of the Absurd" struggles to its foregone conclusion, and the scenes and characters equally grate. The scenes that do score center around Harry's relationship with office crush Beth (Stacey Miller) and boss Cathy (Allison Bibicoff). Harry is stuck in a dead end job in the human resources department at a telephone company. As the Ape feeds Harry bravado and confidence, Harry's behavior at work changes. I believe Franco's performance is better in these scenes, too, when he hits the broad comedy. Franco's direction is very good. He has a nice eye for little details (the workplace lice outbreak announcements, Dostoevsky quotes reflecting Harry's situation), but the script is dead on arrival. If "The Ape" had dropped the title character, and morphed into a short film about office politics, it might have worked. If a coworker told you about his talking ape roommate, that would be funnier and stranger than actually seeing said ape. I appreciated the camera work from Franco, though.
Franco also co-wrote the play the film is based on, but every scene involving the Ape fails miserably. Wisely, the film makers merely put an ape mask on actor Lally, letting the audience find its own reality in the main plot. This "Theatre of the Absurd" struggles to its foregone conclusion, and the scenes and characters equally grate. The scenes that do score center around Harry's relationship with office crush Beth (Stacey Miller) and boss Cathy (Allison Bibicoff). Harry is stuck in a dead end job in the human resources department at a telephone company. As the Ape feeds Harry bravado and confidence, Harry's behavior at work changes. I believe Franco's performance is better in these scenes, too, when he hits the broad comedy. Franco's direction is very good. He has a nice eye for little details (the workplace lice outbreak announcements, Dostoevsky quotes reflecting Harry's situation), but the script is dead on arrival. If "The Ape" had dropped the title character, and morphed into a short film about office politics, it might have worked. If a coworker told you about his talking ape roommate, that would be funnier and stranger than actually seeing said ape. I appreciated the camera work from Franco, though.
One scene doesn't miss its mark
wpdother20 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This one caught my eye in a thrift shop. The cover features James Franco (the writer, director, and lead actor) goofily rolling his eyes towards a cheap ape costume. It looked like an absolutely awful and appropriately forgotten film - something that I'm almost always willing to try.
Harry (played by Franco) has a destructive devotion to the idea of becoming a writer, aspiring to understand the human mind as intimately as his idol, Dostoevsky. His roommate, who happens to be an ape, is quick to point out the flaws in Harry's priorities and motivations, but usually just crudely disparages him. The movie's best jokes lampoon shallow business psychology, or show Harry's exaggerated descent into madness as he begins to transform into the ape himself. The ape (who is referred to as 'Ape'), cracks a few good jokes, but mostly comes off as forcefully crass. Despite being muddled, dark, and poorly paced, I enjoyed this movie. It's too dark and pretentious to recommend to most of my friends, but for those who enjoy surreal movies with an interesting concept, this one is worth a watch.
Harry (played by Franco) has a destructive devotion to the idea of becoming a writer, aspiring to understand the human mind as intimately as his idol, Dostoevsky. His roommate, who happens to be an ape, is quick to point out the flaws in Harry's priorities and motivations, but usually just crudely disparages him. The movie's best jokes lampoon shallow business psychology, or show Harry's exaggerated descent into madness as he begins to transform into the ape himself. The ape (who is referred to as 'Ape'), cracks a few good jokes, but mostly comes off as forcefully crass. Despite being muddled, dark, and poorly paced, I enjoyed this movie. It's too dark and pretentious to recommend to most of my friends, but for those who enjoy surreal movies with an interesting concept, this one is worth a watch.
Did Hal Warren possess James Franco?
oaattiya19 October 2012
Okay, a movie for James Franco, also directed and written by Franco. It's about a working man who dreams to be a writer, so he rents an apartment to write his novel in peace, only to find that the apartment is occupied by a big foul-mouthed gorilla.
The presentation itself is good, interesting idea. However, through an hour and a half, all I gained from watching it is time wasting. It seemed that the film was done by amateurs; bad shooting, bad story, dialog is done poorly, and most of all bad acting, in fact Mr. Franco adds to the agony in this film by being a bad actor himself.
What chance did that film had to make it? By what it has now, none. Its only chance if it was done in different time (like in the forties and fifties, with remodeled storyline of course), or a cartoon film with family oriented dialog.
For me, zero stars are more like it, but I gave it two because the only thing that helped me through is that I managed to turn on my childish imagination and imagine that the ape is real.
The presentation itself is good, interesting idea. However, through an hour and a half, all I gained from watching it is time wasting. It seemed that the film was done by amateurs; bad shooting, bad story, dialog is done poorly, and most of all bad acting, in fact Mr. Franco adds to the agony in this film by being a bad actor himself.
What chance did that film had to make it? By what it has now, none. Its only chance if it was done in different time (like in the forties and fifties, with remodeled storyline of course), or a cartoon film with family oriented dialog.
For me, zero stars are more like it, but I gave it two because the only thing that helped me through is that I managed to turn on my childish imagination and imagine that the ape is real.
I can't believe I watched the whole thing!
shelldotshell3 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I am so sorry, but James Franco should start looking for a career in renting movies for people rather than making them. The plot was awful, but not as bad as the acting. SPOILER ALERT: The "Ape" was actually a guy in a really BAD gorilla mask, although I have to admit I did get a pretty good laugh every time the Ape sat next to a lamp or a wall and turned his head so you could see the empty eye sockets. Even better was the mouth of the mask that just gaped open and was hanging at an angle to one side. It looked like the Ape mask was recovering from a stroke. I had a field-day with this movie picking out all the mistaken cameramen caught in a reflection or the cameraman going through the DT's. Which reminds me, was this James Franco's "acting" or was he just constantly high. I wonder what their budget was for the wardrobe, the apartment, office area, and props like fake feces or extra gorilla hair ????? I guess the budget couldn't afford a tripod. My theory is this movie is so deep it's gonna take me awhile to GET IT....... I think.
Going' Ape!
mycatslyone31 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The comment by Zach above shows that HE GOT IT! So many people who commented just DIDN'T GET IT! The ape itself is never real! It's just a figment of Harry's (James Franco) imagination. He brought out all of Harry's innerisms, things he wants to say or do but can't because he's too reserved. (This seems to be Franco in REAL life, not just REEL life!) Anyway, my favorite scenes were in the office between him & his 2 female co-workers. His boss trying to hook-up with someone via the internet on "Ron-de-Jew" was a real laugh! I wonder who thought that one up?!? HA! I only have one problem with this film & that's all the cussin' & some of the things the ape did. It was totally unnecessary. One thing I DO applaud is James Franco's turn at directing, writing, etc. This was his 1st go at it. I think he did a good job! I really liked his "interview" on the DVD. He expressed himself very well & did not seem as shy as he is today while being interviewed. I'd like to ask him why...
What do "The Ape" and a real ape have in common? They both throw crap at you!
chucknorrisfacts27 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
One of the first complaints a person makes about someone who reviews a movie they don't like is to say "if you don't like, why bother reviewing it?". I can understand that viewpoint to a certain extent, but I feel compelled to write this review so that others can learn from my mistake, and avoid watching this God-awful movie.
First, I'd like to give a little background information as to why I rented this movie to begin with: I had only seen James Franco in a handful of films, but thought he was great in the ones I had seen. Such titles include his "James Dean" biopic made for TNT, and "City by the Sea", in which he co-starred with Robert De Niro. I thought since he had such a hands-on role in the production of this film, it must be good. After all, he wrote, directed and ultimately starred in this "comedy", suffice it to say, "The Ape" was clearly Franco's "baby".
This movie just goes from bad to worse, really it does. Looking back, I'm not even sure why I watched it till the end. I guess there was a part of me that was hoping it would make up for itself by the time it reached the credits. I'll spoil the suspense for those reading this review wondering if it accomplished that feat it didn't.
"The Ape" doesn't even really feel like a real movie, but rather a homework assignment put together by a highly immature high school or college student. I guess based of his previous work, I just expected more out of Franco. In fact, "The Ape" put such a bad taste in my mouth regarding Franco that it was quite a while before I was willing to give him another chance. I still feel he's yet to recapture the magic of his earlier performances, but anything's an improvement over this steam piling of garbage.
I'm not alone in having this opinion. I also watched this movie with a few friends, who were equally confused by this movie. I felt embarrassed for having picked it out for us to watch, and they, too, thought it was one of the worst movies they'd ever seen as well.
I cannot stress enough to avoid "The Ape" at all costs, trust me, it's for your own good. If you're a fan of Franco then definitely skip it, it'll only hurt your impression of him. If you're unfamiliar with Franco's work, you won't want to start with "The Ape", that's for sure. It'll forever warp your impression of him, and I believe will adversely affect your ability to enjoy watching him in other films. The only type of person who might enjoy this, is someone who doesn't like Franco, and wants to use it as a reference point of why he's not a very good writer, director, or actor. On that level, and that level alone, it succeeds.
Is it unfair to criticize Franco so harshly for one movie? Ordinarily, yes. Every actor picks a few bad roles in their lifetime, but not just any actor chooses to write and direct themselves into such an embarrassing role.
First, I'd like to give a little background information as to why I rented this movie to begin with: I had only seen James Franco in a handful of films, but thought he was great in the ones I had seen. Such titles include his "James Dean" biopic made for TNT, and "City by the Sea", in which he co-starred with Robert De Niro. I thought since he had such a hands-on role in the production of this film, it must be good. After all, he wrote, directed and ultimately starred in this "comedy", suffice it to say, "The Ape" was clearly Franco's "baby".
This movie just goes from bad to worse, really it does. Looking back, I'm not even sure why I watched it till the end. I guess there was a part of me that was hoping it would make up for itself by the time it reached the credits. I'll spoil the suspense for those reading this review wondering if it accomplished that feat it didn't.
"The Ape" doesn't even really feel like a real movie, but rather a homework assignment put together by a highly immature high school or college student. I guess based of his previous work, I just expected more out of Franco. In fact, "The Ape" put such a bad taste in my mouth regarding Franco that it was quite a while before I was willing to give him another chance. I still feel he's yet to recapture the magic of his earlier performances, but anything's an improvement over this steam piling of garbage.
I'm not alone in having this opinion. I also watched this movie with a few friends, who were equally confused by this movie. I felt embarrassed for having picked it out for us to watch, and they, too, thought it was one of the worst movies they'd ever seen as well.
I cannot stress enough to avoid "The Ape" at all costs, trust me, it's for your own good. If you're a fan of Franco then definitely skip it, it'll only hurt your impression of him. If you're unfamiliar with Franco's work, you won't want to start with "The Ape", that's for sure. It'll forever warp your impression of him, and I believe will adversely affect your ability to enjoy watching him in other films. The only type of person who might enjoy this, is someone who doesn't like Franco, and wants to use it as a reference point of why he's not a very good writer, director, or actor. On that level, and that level alone, it succeeds.
Is it unfair to criticize Franco so harshly for one movie? Ordinarily, yes. Every actor picks a few bad roles in their lifetime, but not just any actor chooses to write and direct themselves into such an embarrassing role.
Why waste time and/or money?
jonwiener28 June 2006
As a film school graduate, I've seen my share of terrible films. Being a fan of James Franco's, I felt that The Ape would at least be interesting. Instead, I was tricked into watching a pretentious James Franco ego-trip. The only good part of the film was its music, which wasn't featured enough. Otherwise, this film was slowly paced, overly perverse, wordy, misdirected, miscast and wildly unclever. I hate bashing somebody's hard work, but if I were to sugar-coat my feelings, somebody might make the same mistake that I made by watching The Ape.
The next time James Franco has this much time on his hands, I suggest he take up treasure hunting, or anything else that doesn't involve writing or directing.
The next time James Franco has this much time on his hands, I suggest he take up treasure hunting, or anything else that doesn't involve writing or directing.
Emarrassed for James Franco, Amazed at the level of terrible
eyingling122 February 2012
This is literally the worst movie ever made. I like James Franco and I'm always pulling for someone to succeed but lordy be, I'm stupefied by both the 225,000 dollar budget of this movie and that someone thought it was a good idea to sell it in bulk. The ape is ridiculous, his mouth doesn't move, they just don't show his face when he speaks, not to mention, they become almost lovers by the end? Was no one else extremely uncomfortable with the apogee of this plot? The plausible nature is already out the window as he moves out of his house just to write a book?
The movie just got worse as it went along and despite my hopes for something whimsically odd, it just turned sad. I bought it as a joke. Up until now I thought the Gingerdead Man starring Gary Busey was the worst movie I've seen, I stand corrected. You may step down and take the silver medal, Gary Busey.
Just sayin.
The movie just got worse as it went along and despite my hopes for something whimsically odd, it just turned sad. I bought it as a joke. Up until now I thought the Gingerdead Man starring Gary Busey was the worst movie I've seen, I stand corrected. You may step down and take the silver medal, Gary Busey.
Just sayin.
I found it an amusing and often succinct story although not suited to all tastes
daydreamer113 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I've just had the opportunity to view this movie and on the whole enjoyed it. I have been an avid reader of Dostoevsky for many years but possibly missed the point of the frequent references, was there a particular story that this was based around. Dostoevsky wrote a lot of his work purely to make money and often had to drag the stories out. One of the greatest works I have ever read is 'Crime and Punishment' but very obviously drawn out to produce more entries in the serialised newspaper edition and thus more payments for the author. Back to the movie though I have to say that I laughed out loud on a number of occasions and could see some elements of my own life too, reflected to some extent anyway, in the circumstances of the main character. Summing up I found it an amusing and often succinct story although not suited to all tastes.
The worst film I've ever seen...
kenzkenz8 August 2006
Sadly, quite possibly the worst movie I've ever seen. How it got made is beyond me. Atrocious idea, Hideous execution... The acting is pretty awful. James Franco spends half the movie with his eyes closed, hopefully trying to erase the whole experience and idea from his mind (unfortunately, it's impossible for the viewer). This movie feels very home made, with poor camera angles. There are a few pretty funny lines and one scene even manages to be downright hilarious. But it's not enough to save this work of 'art.' For a movie so obsessed with creating art, it's beyond me how Mr. Franco could honestly give this to the movie going (renting, actually, as I don't believe it ever went to theatres.. Not really a shocker) public. James Franco seriously needs to redeem himself somehow after this heinous contribution to the cinema canon. And I'm (maybe I was? I was so appalled by this movie that I'm not sure anymore) a fan of his. Do NOT rent this.
An Amazing Film
PLKing1986-121 October 2005
I just recently saw The Ape in Austin, and I absolutely loved it. To any who might doubt James Franco's ability behind the camera, this film will completely change you perspective. It was expertly filmed. The use of music to create almost a dance with the camera takes was wonderfully done each time. Perhaps my favorite part of this movie, however, is the actual script. Written by Franco himself, as well as Merriwether Williams, the writer of Sponge Bob Squarepants, it was originally a play, but it transferred well to the screen. Labeled a comedy/drama, each scene, no matter the situation, seems realistic and understandable. It is difficult to create a film that can make you both laugh while feeling complete pity, but this one does it effortlessly. Naturally, Franco's portrayal of the down and confused Harry is nothing short of awesome. The ending was a bit predictable, but this takes little from the impressiveness of the film. I give it a 9.
Oddly Funny original indie flick
ardentayu3 March 2008
This is a pretty funny movie. James Franco is quite a comedian, which you wouldn't know from seeing some of his darker, brooding roles. Go into it keeping in mind it is a dark comedy, mostly conversational piece, indie, odd story. Harry (Franco) rents an apartment so he can get a break from his distracting family life and finally put pen to paper. The big catch is that a gorilla is already living at the apartment. The gorilla is an actor in a suit, not a real live gorilla, which I guess I would've realized was the case if I'd looked more closely at the cover art. At first I was disappointed, because I expected there would be a real monkey in the movie. I quickly got over that because the actor in the gorilla suit was quite funny and crude.
It does get a bit repetitive and there are very few locations, so I did begin getting bored mid-way through after my initial reaction to the uniqueness of the story began to wear off. I imagine it was a hilarious stage play (which it was adapted from), but I do think it probably loses some of its charm in translation to the screen. I believe it was a one-act play, so they had to "pad" the story a bit to make it long enough to be a movie. It probably would be strongest in one-act length (45 minutes or so).
Overall, it is unique and I laughed out loud many times. You can watch it and analyze some "deeper" meaning because there are definitely layers of metaphor throughout the story or you can just watch it and laugh.
It does get a bit repetitive and there are very few locations, so I did begin getting bored mid-way through after my initial reaction to the uniqueness of the story began to wear off. I imagine it was a hilarious stage play (which it was adapted from), but I do think it probably loses some of its charm in translation to the screen. I believe it was a one-act play, so they had to "pad" the story a bit to make it long enough to be a movie. It probably would be strongest in one-act length (45 minutes or so).
Overall, it is unique and I laughed out loud many times. You can watch it and analyze some "deeper" meaning because there are definitely layers of metaphor throughout the story or you can just watch it and laugh.
James can act, can do comedy, but cannot write.
evershield7 December 2010
This movies wasn't half bad. I only bought this movie because it was his debut as a writer and a director. So the directing was pretty good, i can see a bit of Epstein talent in him but he needs to work on the cinematography, the camera stood at one angle for too long at times.
Now on to the writing part...OK ummm it was not as good. His story seemed to lack passion in it. The movie started off pretty watchable, a bit cliché at times, but still promising. Then it started to be less and less interesting towards the intimate scene with the boss (not a spoiler, it was all in the trailer). I don't know, i felt James lost interest in writing the story or he had a deadline to meet that he felt pressured to just get it over with. It just had a boring clichéd plot, and it wasn't even a good rendition of movies very similar to it. I felt James was trying to write plots in the styles of Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho) but failed to succeed. There was many plot holes and a lot of questions left, but hey! Ellis' books end with cliff hangers as well. I guess Columbia or wherever he went dried up any writing talent he had. Exactly why you shouldn't study something you love, teachers just suck your talent dry (sorry off topic).
Now the acting! The whole tiny cast were really really good actors and actresses, I was very impressed! Im surprised that most of them were usual extras prior to this movie. The acting was just real! Bravo to them! James, obviously a real good actor, but there was something different about him in this film. It was as if he wasn't acting (yes i know thats what good acting is all about), it was like the character was based on the real him, so he didn't really try hard to get into character (or so i think). The only bad thing about the acting is the tension-filling scenes, they were just too choreographed. I mean watching spider man and seeing how good James is at emotional-filled scenes, this movie just did not prove that.
Now the comedic part of the film. Real funny at times, gorilla man was adorable and funny, really amazing comedic skills. James gets into a more physical comedic role, he shows us a new side to his capability at a slapstick comedy. Bravo! The movie was funny in my opinion but some people would strongly disagree because it was just too jaded. It depends on what type of comedies are funny to you. If you like the sort of "oh I just laughed because some guy fell" kinds of comedy, this movie is for you. If you like British style comedies, meh... But overall, real funny stuff! Finally, this need an honorable mention and I'm sure it has been mentioned in previous reviews- THE MUSIC! Who the heck is this musical wizard? Amazing music, not because its in the ranks of Braveheart or Gladiator soundtracks but because only a person who is that talented can make a catchy tune with like only three notes!(think Jaws theme, that won an Oscar :S)Great music, if there is a soundtrack coming out, ill will be surely buying it! Overall, i give it a 6.5 out of 10. Acting was flawless somewhat, comedy was good, music was just amazing, directing wasn't so bad but there is promise. The only problem was the story, the dialogue, the plot, just anything written! James really needs to fix up his story telling skills, the basis of the story seemed to be a good one, it just needed a lot of tweaking from an experienced superior. James should continue to direct and act, but work a bit on his writing.
Btw, sorry if there are any mistakes in my English, I'm Arab so it isn't my first language. OK well I'm off the study the human body.
Now on to the writing part...OK ummm it was not as good. His story seemed to lack passion in it. The movie started off pretty watchable, a bit cliché at times, but still promising. Then it started to be less and less interesting towards the intimate scene with the boss (not a spoiler, it was all in the trailer). I don't know, i felt James lost interest in writing the story or he had a deadline to meet that he felt pressured to just get it over with. It just had a boring clichéd plot, and it wasn't even a good rendition of movies very similar to it. I felt James was trying to write plots in the styles of Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho) but failed to succeed. There was many plot holes and a lot of questions left, but hey! Ellis' books end with cliff hangers as well. I guess Columbia or wherever he went dried up any writing talent he had. Exactly why you shouldn't study something you love, teachers just suck your talent dry (sorry off topic).
Now the acting! The whole tiny cast were really really good actors and actresses, I was very impressed! Im surprised that most of them were usual extras prior to this movie. The acting was just real! Bravo to them! James, obviously a real good actor, but there was something different about him in this film. It was as if he wasn't acting (yes i know thats what good acting is all about), it was like the character was based on the real him, so he didn't really try hard to get into character (or so i think). The only bad thing about the acting is the tension-filling scenes, they were just too choreographed. I mean watching spider man and seeing how good James is at emotional-filled scenes, this movie just did not prove that.
Now the comedic part of the film. Real funny at times, gorilla man was adorable and funny, really amazing comedic skills. James gets into a more physical comedic role, he shows us a new side to his capability at a slapstick comedy. Bravo! The movie was funny in my opinion but some people would strongly disagree because it was just too jaded. It depends on what type of comedies are funny to you. If you like the sort of "oh I just laughed because some guy fell" kinds of comedy, this movie is for you. If you like British style comedies, meh... But overall, real funny stuff! Finally, this need an honorable mention and I'm sure it has been mentioned in previous reviews- THE MUSIC! Who the heck is this musical wizard? Amazing music, not because its in the ranks of Braveheart or Gladiator soundtracks but because only a person who is that talented can make a catchy tune with like only three notes!(think Jaws theme, that won an Oscar :S)Great music, if there is a soundtrack coming out, ill will be surely buying it! Overall, i give it a 6.5 out of 10. Acting was flawless somewhat, comedy was good, music was just amazing, directing wasn't so bad but there is promise. The only problem was the story, the dialogue, the plot, just anything written! James really needs to fix up his story telling skills, the basis of the story seemed to be a good one, it just needed a lot of tweaking from an experienced superior. James should continue to direct and act, but work a bit on his writing.
Btw, sorry if there are any mistakes in my English, I'm Arab so it isn't my first language. OK well I'm off the study the human body.
It's like Snakes on a Plane, but even better
jms10323 January 2007
A comic gem, tongue-in-cheek, dark, humorously constructed. I don't even like James Franco but this film changes everything. He's high in half of the scenes (you think I'm kidding? he is literally stoned in at least 2 i distinctly remember...you know red swollen eyes and all that) not every movie is the Godfather, not every movie needs to be. not every comedy needs to be Annie Hall, i'd watch this 1000 times before i'd ever watch Date Movie, Scary Movie, Epic Movie, Buddy Comedy Movie, Adventure Movie, Porn Spoof Movie, any of those Wayans brothers or Rob Schneider or David Spade vehicles...it's legitimately hilarious and it doesn't retard its audience (okay so there is a feces-throwing scene, but it's about an ape, that's inevitable) also the whole thing with him being an "ARTISTE!" it's brilliant...James Franco: A+ friend Bravo.
Enjoyable stage play
hannatuka26 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
After being surprised by James Franco's comic chops in Pineapple Express, I went back to watch any and all comedies he's ever done. The Ape is certainly a different brand of humor than Apatow's Freaks & Geeks. There is a very dark element throughout, which recalls Kafka more than Dostoevsky (who is the literary muse on screen). The film is an unmistakable stageplay-- founded on dialogue, helping itself to more absurdity than cinema generally allows. Not that these are necessarily bad things. The quasi-philosophical exchanges between Harry and the Ape are by far the strongest sections of this movie (the SMAD practice presentation scene sent a roomful of us into fits). It's a bit problematic when the same level of expository philosophy seeps into the dialogue outside of Harry's apartment, however (as in the scene where Harry's coworkers discuss the merits of "boredom"). As an actor, Franco looks like he's having fun, and makes a wise choice to punctuate the dialogue-heavy script with a lot of physical slapstick. As a director, there are glaring problems with filming angles, especially in the early scenes where the unsteady camera is downright distracting. Only in the final scene does the cinematography finally come into its own. Despite some obvious flaws, the film felt like an enjoyable outing to a small local theater.
James Franco is impressive, as always.
queen_beet20 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I had to rent this movie just because it sounded so off-the-wall that I would probably enjoy it. I did. I've been a fan of James Franco since "Freaks and Geeks" and I was excited to see that he had written and directed the film. He's a great actor and he was great here as the frustrated writer, Harry Walker. Mr. Walker rents an apartment so he can be away from his family to concentrate on his writing. He moves in only to find a talking, wise-cracking, clothes-wearing ape already lives there. It's just such a goofy concept and I love that the ape costume doesn't even come CLOSE to looking realistic. Yet, it's really supposed to be an ape, not a man in an ape suit. It's part of the movie's charm. Brain Lally is great as the ape. The dialogue back and forth between Lally and Franco is hilarious. It's just a great little independent film.
James Franco And a Bad Gorilla Costume
gavin694223 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
James Franco plays Harry, a struggling writer who leaves his wife and child to pursue his novel-writing career. But he finds the apartment comes with a surprise: he must take care of the previous owner's ape. Soon, his marriage, job and mental stability begin to crumble and he has nothing left but the ape.
This film screams "independent film channel" by the way it was filmed. I don't know what it is specifically, other than it being independent, but it has that college feel that will only really make certain people happy. It made me happy, though it's far from the best indie film I've ever seen.
James Franco, who everyone except me knows from "Spider-Man", is amazing: writing, directing and acting in this little piece. I think the writing was exceptional, with lots of good dialog, some unusual Dostoevsky references (which never get explained) and some good jokes, too. I really couldn't stop laughing about the whole "RedezJew" website. I don't think it was supposed to be so funny, but it was.
I also really liked the SMAD personality test (Social, Martyr, Ambitious, Dependable). The conversation about who is a "social" and who is "ambitious" really has connotations beyond this film. Dependable and martyr are never explored, which is too bad -- I would love to know what they consider a martyr to be.
The obvious complaint would be the horrible gorilla costume. It's not even a very good costume. But, it also becomes clear that the creators (Franco?) didn't care. You can see through the eye holes, and sometimes it's very amusing. And you know what? It works. If a movie tries to be serious and gives you this, they don't deserve any respect. But to be so blunt about their cheapness makes it alright. (Compare this to Teen Ape from "Filthy McNasty" -- that costume is even worse, but makes sense for the film.)
The ending was a little abrupt. Just as we begin to explore Franco's mind, it comes crashing down. I can't say exactly how (because that would be a spoiler), but so many questions went unanswered and they simply cannot be figured out with multiple viewings. In this respect, the writing was not so good -- unless the point was to keep us wondering, but I doubt that.
If you can find this film (it's hard, I've tried) you should check it out. May not be your cup of tea, but it's probably different from everything else you've ever seen. It's a good parable of what happens when ambitions swell up inside a man with no capabilities of pulling off his dreams. It's a pessimism piece, and we need more of those -- this world's just too happy sometimes.
This film screams "independent film channel" by the way it was filmed. I don't know what it is specifically, other than it being independent, but it has that college feel that will only really make certain people happy. It made me happy, though it's far from the best indie film I've ever seen.
James Franco, who everyone except me knows from "Spider-Man", is amazing: writing, directing and acting in this little piece. I think the writing was exceptional, with lots of good dialog, some unusual Dostoevsky references (which never get explained) and some good jokes, too. I really couldn't stop laughing about the whole "RedezJew" website. I don't think it was supposed to be so funny, but it was.
I also really liked the SMAD personality test (Social, Martyr, Ambitious, Dependable). The conversation about who is a "social" and who is "ambitious" really has connotations beyond this film. Dependable and martyr are never explored, which is too bad -- I would love to know what they consider a martyr to be.
The obvious complaint would be the horrible gorilla costume. It's not even a very good costume. But, it also becomes clear that the creators (Franco?) didn't care. You can see through the eye holes, and sometimes it's very amusing. And you know what? It works. If a movie tries to be serious and gives you this, they don't deserve any respect. But to be so blunt about their cheapness makes it alright. (Compare this to Teen Ape from "Filthy McNasty" -- that costume is even worse, but makes sense for the film.)
The ending was a little abrupt. Just as we begin to explore Franco's mind, it comes crashing down. I can't say exactly how (because that would be a spoiler), but so many questions went unanswered and they simply cannot be figured out with multiple viewings. In this respect, the writing was not so good -- unless the point was to keep us wondering, but I doubt that.
If you can find this film (it's hard, I've tried) you should check it out. May not be your cup of tea, but it's probably different from everything else you've ever seen. It's a good parable of what happens when ambitions swell up inside a man with no capabilities of pulling off his dreams. It's a pessimism piece, and we need more of those -- this world's just too happy sometimes.
Go Ape for the Ape!
horselover9027 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Sorry for the corny title... but I couldn't think of anything better! Being a James Franco fan, I naturally wanted to rent The Ape, even though it didn't look like a promising film from what people said. My friends and I settled in to watch it having NO idea what to expect. In the beginning, the movie made us laugh. James Franco's response to the ape was hilarious; the ape itself is just amusing to look at.
As the movie progressed, I began to tire of the film though. The ape was incredibly foul-mouthed and I hated to watch the main character, Harry Walker, slowly ruin his life thanks to the influences of the crass primate. There were still scenes that made me laugh, but Franco's acting weakened a bit, especially when he was upset with his wife and boss.
Yet the ending of this movie redeemed it for the most part. I was expecting a campy ending in which the ape removes his clearly obvious mask and he and Harry Walker go their separate ways. Instead the ending was dramatic and poignant, really making me reevaluate the movie on the whole. The entire movie was symbolic of a typical man's downfall.
Despite the bad language and, at some points, weak acting, I enjoyed this absurd and surreal movie on many levels.
As the movie progressed, I began to tire of the film though. The ape was incredibly foul-mouthed and I hated to watch the main character, Harry Walker, slowly ruin his life thanks to the influences of the crass primate. There were still scenes that made me laugh, but Franco's acting weakened a bit, especially when he was upset with his wife and boss.
Yet the ending of this movie redeemed it for the most part. I was expecting a campy ending in which the ape removes his clearly obvious mask and he and Harry Walker go their separate ways. Instead the ending was dramatic and poignant, really making me reevaluate the movie on the whole. The entire movie was symbolic of a typical man's downfall.
Despite the bad language and, at some points, weak acting, I enjoyed this absurd and surreal movie on many levels.
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