WOW! Here's the type of movie you won't see every day! "Spanking the Monkey" is easily one of the darkest films I have ever seen (and I watched "Salo" only two weeks ago!), but it's also, believe or not, one of the funniest. As a fan of pitch-black comedy, I can assure you that David O. Russel's critically acclaimed debut film is no disappointment. It's full of memorable quotes, cringe inducing sequences, and deep exploration of extremely taboo subjects. It's a film that is wild and ugly, but also brilliant and funny-it's comparable to the absolute best of Todd Solondz's work (such as "Happiness", the only dark comedy that I can definitely claim to be more shocking that this one).
Of course, there are many audience members who seem to be complaining that this film is not a "comedy" at all. I can easily see where some may get confused, since the poster and title make this seem like an average sex comedy while it's actually a shocking dark comedy. Many people may not notice all of the subtle and pitch black moments of laugh out loud dark humor that are scattered all throughout this masterpiece.
However, I must admit that "Spanking the Monkey" also oozes with tragedy. It's definitely a really depressing film at times, and has many surprisingly intense moments of suspense. If I would have to name any films I've seen that fit the term "tragicomedy", this would easily be one of the first that comes to mind. It DOES contain heavy moments of drama, but the humor is still always there. It may be black as night, but it's still a laugh riot!
Of course, there are many audience members who seem to be complaining that this film is not a "comedy" at all. I can easily see where some may get confused, since the poster and title make this seem like an average sex comedy while it's actually a shocking dark comedy. Many people may not notice all of the subtle and pitch black moments of laugh out loud dark humor that are scattered all throughout this masterpiece.
However, I must admit that "Spanking the Monkey" also oozes with tragedy. It's definitely a really depressing film at times, and has many surprisingly intense moments of suspense. If I would have to name any films I've seen that fit the term "tragicomedy", this would easily be one of the first that comes to mind. It DOES contain heavy moments of drama, but the humor is still always there. It may be black as night, but it's still a laugh riot!