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Directed by: Nick Gomez
Starring: Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Neve Campbell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Casey Affleck, William Fichtner & Marcus Thomas
Drowning Mona is a black comedy with a “Whodunnit?” theme. The film has an outstanding cast, a lineup of great comic actors and, at least, one outstanding actor of remarkable intensity and believability in any role – William Fichtner. The combination makes this film comedic dynamite.
The setting is upstate New York, a fact that will surely be lost on anyone who hasn’t spent some time there. To anyone who is familiar, the sets of this film are remarkable for their realism. It is surprising to learn that, in reality, the film was made on the west coast.
There are some unsung comedians in the film, too, who deserve to be pointed out. They are the Yugos. They inadvertently become the focus of comedy in a couple of the movie’s best scenes. Even the police cars are Yugos.
While this is a very light-hearted film, it does a remarkable job telling its dark tale, which is one of a dastardly murder – or murders. The movie goes into depth to explore the low animal impulses of some of the people of Verplanck, New York.
Some negative critics of the film say that the characters in the story are impossibly stupid. I admire those critics for having been able to live their lives surrounded by only refined, intelligent people of sophisticated tastes, however, I think I know a few of the characters in that film personally. To those of us familiar with the common and the crass, the characters seem perfectly well drawn. That fact makes this film even funnier because it hits its mark perfectly.
Not all comedies work for all people, but this mixture of very serious themes with humor will work for many people. The film maintains a good comedic rhythm. The set ups are not obvious. The story line is actually quite complex. It is one of those movies that you can watch again and again. It never fails to deliver laughs.
