Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose

I watched this on a longer train journey home this weekend, knowing it was a 5.3 rating at the time I queued it up. Was pleasantly surprised / intrigued and had to finish it off both on the tube then in bed when home.

Not quite sure what to make of it, leading me back to IMDb to check Trivia and other reviews! Knowing that it was based on true story, would have been useful to know beforehand.

A few of the characters seemed quite well acted, and even if perhaps a bit under-developed, Minnie Driver's acting seemed pretty good to my uncultured tastes. I'm curious what people might think of Simon Pegg's accent!

Very much enjoyed this movie. Contrary to other reviewers I found the writing to be excellent as well as the Cinematography & the acting.

The question is whether there is very much of a there there, and I think there is.

Our main character, A professional Anti- spiritualist, is absolutely convinced there cannot be such a thing as a mongoose that talks. The community of the Isle of Man is pretty much convinced, which drives our lead character nuts.

I won't get into the conclusion or spoil the ending, but the main point of this well-made little movie - very quirky little movie - is that it is a mistake to be certain about things you have no business being certain about and this is something of real interest to me who went about the first almost 65 years of his life being convinced that he knew stuff that he had no business thinking that he knew. For example, which people met the test of being a valuable good person and which ones did not.

It was a great relief to realize none of us is smart enough to judge other people other than whether they want them over for dinner or whether they committed a felony that should put them in jail for a while.

Judgments of character are tricky. I don't recommend them.

Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose is as frustratingly short as its title is long, but as minor films go, it is immensely charming and leaves a profoundly lasting impression. Admittedly, the material is not exactly funny enough to be considered comedic, nor is it weighty enough to pack much of an emotional punch, however, the cast gives wonderfully restrained yet quirky performances, the writing, albeit slight, is clever, if not intelligent, and the final cinematic product is intricate and handsome. If you are looking to lose ninety minutes of your life and do not want to think too hard, but also do not wish to turn your brain completely off, this mild gem is not without its moments of intrigue and pleasure. Additionally, should you be grappling with mortality and/or the meaning of existence, you might just find your time spent with Gef the Mongoose to be a weirdly cathartic experience.

Amazing cast. Beautifully filmed. If I were a film student I would probably rave about the camera work and colour pallette/saturation, etc.

Alas, I am not. I do not, however begrudge any of the 120 minutes or so I spent watching and then going back to rewatch assuming I'd fallen asleep and missed the key plot point or story arc that had earned it such high ratings.

The cast, acting, editing, camera work, costume, and makeup can make up for a lot, but best to go in with low expectations for story and you won't be disappointed. It's a nice little tale, just not an 8. (current rating when I watched.)

I had high hopes for this film. The cast, the acting, filming and all are excellent. Sadly, This story never takes flight. It makes its intended statements; let people believe what they want, and what happens next (after life), but doesn't make them in any interesting way. It falls flat on storytelling craft. There were so many ways to have created intrigue and explore the reasons why Jeff was so beloved, but none were taken. Why didnt we ever get to see mire of the daughters story? That was interesting, and it ended as soon as it started. So disappointing. And the way it ended was hollow, uninteresting and lazy.