Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose (2023) Movie Drinking Game
Down a Shot: each time a troubled Nandor goes on a drunken rant.
Down a Shot: each time the Irwing family comes up with a convenient excuse to explain the absence of Gef.
By: Vidal D’Costa (Three Beers) –
Dr. Nandor Fodor, an expert in parapsychology (not to be confused with his vampiric counterpart Nandor The Relentless), sets out in search of the mysterious Gef, a talking mongoose who often frequents a barn owned by the Irving family and has accumulated quite the fanbase among the residents of Isle of Man with his supernatural shenanigans. While initially skeptical of this yet unseen entity, Fodor’s visit might just prove to be one of self discovery that’ll put his Doubting Thomas mindset to rest once and for all.
A Toast
Simon Pegg has always been on point with his choice of offbeat bizzaro scripts- although this indie is less Cornetto series and more so in the same camp as his previous foray into the psychological thriller genre, the underappreciated but gripping A Fantastic Fear of Everything. And even if the screenplay falters, Pegg holds fort with his acting chops, stepping into the shoes of the cynical Dr. Fodor, delivering a rather convincing performance particularly in the second half as viewers are offered a window into the disturbed mind of a man on the brink of paranoia.
The movie also benefits from its clever visual nods to paranormal classics such as The Exorcist (i.e a shot of Dr. Fodor standing underneath a street lamp that accentuates his shadowy silhouette) as well as unexpected extended cameos from author Neil Gaiman, delivering his chilling best as the voice of Gef the talking mongoose, and Doc Brown himself- Christopher Lloyd. It also evokes intrigue with a suspenseful first half and with a handful of side characters who only grow progressively more eccentric as the strange events unfold. While there are moments where it often loses steam in terms of pacing, the movie certainly terrifies with instances such as Gef crooning to Nandor’s assistant Anne through a hole in one of the walls of the Irvings’ home.
A few comedic moments, especially the back and forths between ‘life of the party’ Nandor and ‘mean girl’ Errol (the Irvings’ snarky farmhand), also elicited a chuckle or two from me.
Beer Two
While the movie does feature its fair share of thought-provoking, philosophical musings- ranging from raising questions on beliefs, grief, detachment, etc.- it only partially succeeds at the execution of said themes and the end result does feel somewhat shallow.
Beer Three
Minnie Driver plays her part convincingly as Anne, the amusingly ditzy yet curious and loyal assistant, but the talented actor feels severely underutilized here (hopefully the upcoming season of Our Flag Means Death will do more justice to Driver’s magnetic screen presence instead).
Simon Pegg’s questionable accent also proves to be somewhat distracting, and freakishly bordering on Christopher Waltz… but in a jarringly inconsistent fashion.
Verdict
Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose is worth a watch, but only if you’re genuinely curious to learn more about the lore surrounding its subject Gef. It would do good for skeptics to stay away.
