The Mosquito Coast
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Movie Reviews of The Mosquito Coast
Movie Review: Thoughtful script/Powerful performances
Summary: 4 Stars
This film grabbed my attention immediately and didn't let go until the final scene. The main character, Allie Fox, played brilliantly by Harrison Ford is shown at first to be an eccentric guy who dropped out of Harvard "to get an education." He has a beautiful, intelligent looking wife, played by Helen Mirren who is apparently homeschooling her four kids, and they seem to be living a happy life in the country somewhere. Yes, he's a bit opinionated and is not shy about sharing his worldview, which is that the USA is going down the tubes, but he is warm and enterprising and obviously loves and is adored by his family.
Like others before him, he decides to put his ideals to the test. He has enormous confidence in his "genius" and his ideas and the trusting wife and four small kids leave everything behind, the dishes in the sink, and go with him to some jungle in Central America. I kept trying to like this guy, especially as I saw his wife's unquestioning faith in him, even though I found him annoying---not the kind of guy you'd want to get stuck with in a conversation at a party.
En route to their destination they meet up with a Christian missionary, played with religious zeal by Andre Gregory (of "My Dinner with Andre"). Fox hates religion and can out-quote the Bible to the minister. You might think that he'd be glad to make friends with the only other white people in the area, but his supreme arrogance brands everyone who differs from his opinions as bad. In this way the missionary is a perfect mirror for him, but he doesn't get the clue. He is as intolerant and narrow minded in his own vision, as he accuses the minister of being.
He buys a town from a drunken German and they set about to create their own utopia. The town comes with some local inhabitants and Fox embraces them and enlists their help in building the place up. There is a little racism here in that all of the natives are seen as good and all of the other white folks are seen as bad. Of course he is the "Father"--the one who is in charge, because he bought the place.
At first his superior mechanical abilities and tremendous work ethic pay off and they build a lovely little village with gardens and everyone looks happy. He builds his special invention, a huge ice maker, which he feels is his supreme contribution to the world---bringing ice to the jungle. It's a big hit with the natives but he isn't content with being the local hero; he learns that there are some natives a ways away and he forces his family and friends to lug large hunks of ice to show these folks.
Well, things go downhill from there on...some Whites who are armed with machine guns come for a visit and, things go from bad to very bad. Fox doesn't ever give in and even as he drags his family into increasingly distressing situations he turns his back at every offer of help. He becomes more and more paranoid and tyrannical and ends up being more destructive than he probably ever could have imagined.
As interesting as the events are, what is the most fascinating is the character development of the Fox family. We see the initial seeds of megalomania in Allie while he's still at home, and once he's on his own and is truly the king of his little kingdom, it gets worse. The unfortunate memories of Jim Jones did flash across my mind as I watched this. The two sons provide the most touching parts of the story. They obviously idolize their father in the beginning, but as things progress they are forced to realize that he is deluded and putting everyone in danger. This can't be easy for any young boy.
What I had a problem with was the characterization of Fox's wife, whom he calls "mother." As played by Helen Mirren, she seems to be a highly intelligent, beautiful, strong woman and that's the problem. I haven't read the novel so I don't know how she's portrayed there. As wonderful an actress as Mirren is, I think she is really miscast, because such a strong smart woman would have stood up to her husband much earlier on. Maybe Mirren just can't play weak, submissive women and I think that this is the major flaw in the film. Love for her husband is one thing, but putting her children in increasingly riskier situations is another.
Ford shines here as a complex character--so much more interesting than his other "hero" roles. The kids are good. The scenery is gorgeous. The music is good. It's definitely a worthwhile film.
Movie Review: Obsession with Progress
Summary: 4 Stars
Peter Weir's (Gallipoli) film adapted from a novel by Paul Theroux's with a script written by Paul Schrader. The film follows the rise and fall of a dissilusioned American inventor who, after being fed up with the frustrations of modern life at home, moves to live a more simple life in a tropical paradise where all goes wrong. Well acted and directed, this is an interesting film analyzing the flaws in of western thought: particulary related to progress, innovation, and technology.
Harrison Ford plays Allie Fox, a disenfranchized American entrepreneur/inventor who believes that there's no more progress in America compared to the days when an Edison or a Bell could market their ideas without frustration. He chooses to leave with his entire family for a modest life in the jungles of a South American country. After moralizing an evangelical preacher for his hipocracy, Fox settles with primitive natives and tries to persuade them on the benefits of technology: in this case, an ice making/cooling machine he invented. Despite his high hopes of progress, everything Fox plans goes terribly wrong and he's forced to accept his shortcomings.
The film is well balanced and carries the theme quite well. This film is a criticism of the can-make it better approach commonly associated with the American/Western view of the world. The film juxtaposes a complex contraption against the background of a primitive society existing in equilibrium with nature. Everything the indigens bring into their life comes from the jungle and returns to it. Along come the agents of progress telling the simple folk how much better life would be if they had air conditioning and refrigeration in their steamy jungles: sounds like a good idea doens't it. The film then shows the audience how such a foreign contraption upsets the nature's equilibrium and so the social peace.
The message in this film reflects various instances showing how the 'progress' of invention and industry brings more woes than advantages. A perfect example of this in real life is when various powdered milk companies, with heavy-handed backing from their respective governments, promoted their products to Third World countries such as India as better than breast milk because its higher nutritional value. The logic being that powdered milk would provide the usually malnourished children of these parts with better milk than breast milk. The problem was that seemingly these 'caring' corporations never bothered to think of how these 'poor and helpless' children would drink the powdered milk they so proudly promoted. The simple truth was that these corporate saviors were too busy thinking about their expected profit margins instead of their customers to bother reaching the logical and predictable results as to who would be buying their product: poor rural mothers of malnourished children who had no access to any source of potable water that would be required to dilute their miracle product. After falling for their marketing blitz, mothers who bought the 'Super-new! Buy-now! Last-chance-to-fall-for-our-new-gimmick! Don't be without it!' powdered milk formula found their children dying of typhoid, colera, and other pathogens commonly found in tainted water where countries lack proper water and sanitation systems.
This film is a revealing social critique on the woes of 'progress' and 'growth' and seeks to show the limitations of such social/world views in their application to real life and other cultures in particular. The acting is strong and gripping: definitely a film worth renting or owning.
Movie Review: Lacking Plot Carried by Ford
Summary: 4 Stars
The stars I gave are for Harrison Ford's acting alone. He did a wonderful job in this role. I don't remember him winning an Oscar for this or anything ( if he did I don't remember ), but he deserved one. River Phoenix was surprisingly wasted. Usually River does wonderful in anything he's in but in this you didn't need him. If you like films like " The Beach ", and " Lord of the Flies ", where men turn insane in beautiful tropical areas you will love this film. Allie Fox ( Ford ) is an inventer sick of how America is being poisoned by little or no values. He walks around town raising hell and spewing nonsense with laid back son Charlie Fox ( River Phoenix ) by his side. Allie fusses, spits and carries on with how he hates America than packs up his family and rushes to Belize where he believes the world is just beginning. His wife, Mother ( Helen Mirren ) ( She's only known as " Mother " )and their other three children are shocked to see Allie's drug them to an empty, backwards part of Belize far away from civilization. He spits, spews and shouts until he's made a village with the islanders from his bare hands. He makes an enemy out of the nosey reverand who believes he is going against the church by taking the land from the islanders. Anyway, while the Foxes are enjoying nature after Allie invents a machine for ice and air conditioning, spanish men with guns show up and refuse to leave. In order to get rid of them Allie makes his son Charlie start a fire where the men sleep. That's when Allie's life goes down hill and he becomes even crazier. The men get killed. Allie accidentally destroys not only his invention, but the entire little village. By this time Allie is as demented as a serial killer. The family packs up and finds a beach. Suddenly he keeps his family prisoner. He becomes so crazy he feels they're going to turn on him. Allie begans destroying everything he doesn't agree with while risking his family's life along the way. And the only thing Helen Mirren's character says is: " Why are you doing this to us? " At that point the pity I felt for Mother was killed by her stupidity. The younger brother, Jerry was a great actor. River Phoenix was dry which was very disappointing.
I haven't read the book yet but the plot didn't add up. Helen Mirren's part could have been written smarter. How could Allie Fox rant and rave and she not see that he is insane? Please! I could tell he was a nut before he took his family away from America. The fact that he refers to his own wife as Mother should have tipped the family off. In that aspect the film could have been better. How does a man completely fall apart and his family not realize it until he's almost dead? That killed the plot's chance of being decent. Without Harrison Ford's dynamic performance this movie wouldn't be as popular as it is now. It came out in 1986 when everyone thought the world revolved around River Phoenix and his " Stand by Me " pals.
The film is entertaining thanks to Harrison Ford ( only ). Once again we suffer with horrible Martha Plimpton just because she and River were an item in real life. She was the most not needed character of all. Luckily she wasn't seen but twice. You can skip her scenes easily and save yourself the misery. Women may get offended at how stupid Helen Mirren's character actually is.
Movie Review: The Good ,The Bad, The Ugly... All In One Character
Summary: 4 Stars
Never read the book but saw this film when I was 16, and once again in my early 30's. At 16 I found Ford's portrayal and the storyline to be downright depressing and deplorable. Why? Well, for years as a kid I saw Ford play all the heroic roles that made him a super star. Then I realized Ford was entering his "let me play more mature multi-faceted in-depth characters" phase. So, from watching him play swashbuckler in the jungle to bushwhacker in the jungle I was disappointed but yet intrigued by the role of the eccentric (understatement)Allie Fox.Now, in my 30's and seeng it on dvd for the first time, I am older and able to understand this film with great admiration for Ford's portrayal in a very challenging role along with some of the finest work by the late River Phoenix !
The story is based (from what other fans or readers of the novel have said)loosely on the novel of an American inventor who is greatly at odds with and disillusioned by American society, government, etc., in every which way he can think of. He soon packs up his family and moves to Central America to a place called Mosquitia to build a new life. The motivation or drive is to build an incredible ice machine (for central home cooling and other multi purposes) the likes of which the primitive natives have never seen. Soon, all goes awry with a combination of Allie's sinking into madness and unwanted trespassers who wreak havoc. Allie's determination to stay in his new found world soon begins to take its toll on his family !
What is remarkable is the central character's descent from a quirky and highly eccentric grumpy inventor to a man falling into madness and taking his family with him. As the saying goes, there is a method to his madness or madness to his method.The end result is one of tragedy and great loss. Ford's portrayal of Fox is the first time we the viewers see him as a good/bad/nasty/grumpy/ugly guy...It is one of Ford's better riveting performances due to his multi-personality role and the character's painful decline in sanity...
This is one of Ford's underrated roles and films to date. Do not miss this opportunity to see the Mosquito Coast based on a few disgruntled critics or viewers/readers who remain faithful to the novel...
Movie Review: Definitely not Han or Indy
Summary: 4 Stars
Don't sit down and watch The Mosquito Coast expecting another Six Days and Seven Nights. Harrison Ford plays serious as a misguided, stubborn father who drags his family through hell. Unlike many of Harrison's other characters, you will not necessarily identify positively with Allie Fox. Instead of the likable brashness of Han Solo, Ford presents us with an despicable genius, an Einstein who does not consider the effects of his choices on others.If the viewer doesn't expect Ford's feel-good characters from past performances, the movie will not be quite as disorienting as when I watched it. Being accustomed to cheering for Ford's characters in previous movies, it was confusing and frustrating to see him so thick-headed. While you may know people like Allie Fox, as I do, let's hope he's not you.
The story of a father taking his family into the wild has been explored many times, often with a mid-life crisis element involved. Here, an incredibly intelligent inventor who lacks common sense shoves his family into amazingly difficult situations. He believes his thoughts are perfectly reasoned, that life will be perfect after carrying out his plan. I feel logic dictates that perfection is impossible. Certainly, some deep discussion can occur after the movie's credits.
With half of marriages ending in divorce nowadays, many will watch this film and say, "Why doesn't she divorce this stooge?" However, even mismanaged families want to stick together, especially when kids are involved; this realization makes the spouse's questionable actions a touch more believable.
The supporting cast is very solid, with every performance believable. Not a single weak link really exists here, and the cinematography drops you right in the middle of the jungle.
I enjoyed the movie simply to see Harrison Ford truly acting. The Mosquito Coast shows his range as an actor. A good watch for true fans of Harrison Ford, plus a lot of food for thought.