Mandrill

Retro hitman.

Continuing with the growing Chilean exploitation genre, officially known as "Latinxploitation" since the introduction of Bring me the Head of Machinegun Woman Today we keep on following the career of Ernesto Díaz the only Chilean film maker that has made a career out of paying tribute to the exploitation films from the beloved 70's. Mandrill, is his third movie officially released in 2009 and currently available on DVD & Blu Ray at select stores around the globe. His second film was 2007's Mirageman but, we'll talk about that one later on. If Díaz earliest attempt (2005's Kiltro) at film making good exploitation was a rushed mess driven by anxiety, Mandrill is the complete opposite: A very well executed hitman story. The movie, obviously, cites the best of the secret agent genre. Take Shaft, James Bond & The Transporter and voilá! you have  Mandrill. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is a deliberate rip off as Kiltro was, this is entirely a movie anyone with a taste for action would enjoy gladly.

As Díaz earlier films were a loving, tongue-in-cheek homage to the ’70s exploitation action films, so too is Mandrill, casting the martial arts expert Marko Zaror this time as an eponymous Bondian hitman, inspired equally by fictitious movie super-agent John Colt (with highly amusing and spot-on film clips) as by the childhood murder of his parents. Unfortunately for him, the daughter of his long-sought target is a beautiful and feisty young woman who provides him first with the challenge of seduction and subsequently that of staying alive.

the bad guys.

Revenge is a dish...well, you already know.

The film wears its superficiality happily on its sleeve, reveling in the hard bright light of glamorous commercial photography in sun-drenched exteriors or golden casino interiors, and in the superlative fighting skills of Zaror (with only a minimum of digital assistance). Motivation and characterisation are unashamedly clear-cut, although the sympathy-eliciting cracks in Mandrill’s tough-guy persona are a little over-exposed – his tears flow readily, and when denuded of his designer shades his eyes reveal too clearly the slow-moving cogs behind to convince as those of an invincible super-man. But otherwise Zaror is a manly force with something of both the monkey’s cunning and simple-mindedness. Now, has his acting skills improved? No. He can be an action hero but not an award winning actor. He still has difficulties speaking clearly, and his body language it's always forced never loosey goosey, which for an exploitation film isn't much of a deal anyways.

The transporter + James Bond= Mandrill.

Sex & Guns.

The film’s well-judged momentum falters only towards the end, in an oddly curtailed sequence that starts like some trial of strength in grainily-shot rooms (only two) containing ever-tougher opponents; it had the makings of a beautiful series of abstracted confrontations, given the fighting and film-making skills, but it cuts abruptly and disappointingly to the  climactic showdown, which itself fails to build on the earlier confrontation that it reprises. But the film is carried off with enough style and such good humour, particularly in flashbacks to a (well-cast) younger Mandrill and his caring and amusing uncle, and the pastiche is so lovingly accurate – including a vibrant soundtrack of exploitation funk, Barry-esque Bond lines and hopping tropicalia – that deficiencies of construction and rhythm (tension is too often curiously under-milked and the script was concocted on the run whilst shooting) are quite happily overlooked for the sake of plain simple enjoyment, fondly stylish film-making, and the prospect of an unashamedly set-up sequel.

Time for love...

...and Revenge.

Overall, a good film that deserves its place in the exploitation revival we've been seeing since the early 2000's. The film delivers what is promised and the supporting cast does a good job (you'll see some familiar faces from Díaz earlier films) The story, although there's nothing new to offer to an already tired secret agent genre, delivers and makes sense. The added segments with the fictional John Colt 70's movie is a lot of fun and helps explaining that Mandrill is just a kid who is looking to become a man doing what's right. If you watched "Bring the Head of Machinegun Woman" there is a small scene where Mandrill is a member of the hitmen website where Machinegun Woman works too, so there is open room for a crossover in the near future. 

Here's the movie trailer: