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Don't listen to the negative reviews

As Good As It Gets

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This is a film that I've seen a while ago and I find it quite memorable. Starring Asia Argento and Jared Harris in lead roles and Rupert Everett and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in supporting roles, it is an unusual cross between a thriller and a melodrama, with equal amounts of love scenes, violence and suspense. This was my introduction to both Argento and Harris and they both pleased me with their performances, especially the lovely Asia who looks so sultry and seductive here. Also Everett and Rhys-Meyers make this film more interesting with their love/hate relationship that ultimately ends with blood. Everett is at his most seductive here as well and he even gets a brief "love scene" with Asia."B. Monkey" is a quite enjoyable film and the storyline is pretty well-crafted, keeping the suspense until the very end. In contrast to many other such "sex thrillers", this film also works well as a drama, especially from the angle of the male protagonist. Harris' character is not a traditional hero, but an impotent teacher who is trying to help a violent child. This part shows how noble and caring men are often getting trampled at by loathsome persons, in this case the child's abusive and utterly despicable mother. This makes "B. Monkey" a mixed bag that aims to please fans of both drama and thrillers.

Beatrice(Asia Argento) is a thief who comes into the life of teacher/DJ Alan(Jared Harris), bringing a little excitement and a little trouble. It's a plot that has been done better before and B. Monkey doesn't bring anything new to the genre. The cast, which also includes John Rhys Meyers ans Rupert Everett as B. partners in crime, make it worth watching. Jared Harris looks like that teacher with the hot wife that nobody quite knows why she is with him, John Rhys Meyers is perhaps Asia's male partner in pretty, and Rupert Everett is Rupert Everett as always. Most of the attention goes to Asia Argento as she plays another tortured character. The best thing on display in this movie is her body, in the tub, on the bed, and with a gun thrust in front of her bare breasts. That is a good reason to love you.

This film has all of the touches of an early Truffaut and some Fritz Lang in the use of wonderful characters,especially Argento, who I notice has not stopped working in big productions but who is quite young with a distinctive screen presence. If she were a blond, even Hitchcock would have used her. She is strong,fierce,bold,kind,unafraid to expose her nice body for passionate sexual interludes.She falls for a "nerdish" British third grade teacher,Jared Harris, son of late Richard, and is a truly marvelous actor who falls IMMEDIATELY for moll Asia Argento. It has handsome photography in London,Yorkshire,Paris, and in spite of Argento's strong presence,there are some good bits by Rupert Everett who adds class even in this sleazy role.An the young actor/hood is excellent as the rejected lover turned gangster.There is almost too much going on, making the ending a little too "pat" but it is one of the few crime love stories I have seen with such an engaging actress as Argento.She photographs beautifully and her transitions are so good, one is reminded of the great screen dames like Gloria Grahame, Jeanne Moreau and Tuesday Weld in PRETTY POISON.

Saw this on cable the other night - a very stylish and energetic little film, with fine central performances from Asia Argente, the always-great Jared Harris and Rupert Everett (who broods like no other). Catch this Monkey if you can.