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NO SUCH THING Send This Review to a Friend
An honorable failure, "No Such Thing" attempts to comment seriously on the state of the world by spinning a tale of an angry, dangerous monster who is discovered living in Iceland and those who try to exploit him. Since it is written and directed by the creative filmmaker Hal Hartley, we can count on some nifty touches, especially with the excellent cast that has been assembled. But the story never registers with the kind of force necessary to make a major impact. Nonetheless, the project is a fascinating one that at least reflects worthy ambitions.
Robert John Burke plays the Monster, who is basically a deformed, ugly being who terrorizes and kills out of his disgust for the world, himself and those who would scorn him. He seems destined to live forever and endure his pain as nothing is able to kill him. The connection with civilization is made when a camera crew disappears while on an assignment to find and photograph him. Helen Mirren is the head of a TV news program that thrives on sensationalism, and she does an excellent job of portraying her as a hard-hearted, callous opportunist with not an ethical standard in sight. Beatrice (Sarah Polley), the girlfriend of the missing journalist, works for the station and she sets out to find him. Another noteworthy bit of casting is Julie Christie in the role of Dr. Anna.
The film shifts into recounting what happens when Beatrice meets the Monster and attempts to put him in touch with a scientist who may be able to end his miserable life, which requires bringing him to--where else but Manhattan.
As you can readily see, the story has shades of "King Kong," only this one involves contemporary governmental agendas with respect to what to do with this creature that the media wants to exploit. The plot gets muddled and not very convincing even if one accepts the far-fetched premise. The film poses a question of just who the real monsters of society are. "No Such Thing" is a fable that needs to be better in order to work, but it gets good marks for effort. A UA-MGM release.
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