4/5 Great acting and a near perfect story
  by M. Heidenreich (WI)
It will go without saying five minutes into this movie that it is unlike any other movie you've seen. This sometimes dark, sometimes slapstick, sometimes subtle comedy boasts one of the most intriguing casts to date. There are a number of recognizable faces, Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Jamie Lee Curtis (to name a few), that brighten up the screen just that much. But to be honest, it was the roles played by Casey Affleck, Marcus Thomas, and William Fichtner especially that made `Drowning Mona' so enjoyable for me. The movie itself goes back and forth between present time and flashbacks containing moments of a living Mona Dearly, who dies rather abruptly at the very beginning of the film. I think too many people say the plot it predictable. I was more than entertained for the entire movie and I never actually KNEW who actually killed Mona. Sure I had my predictions, and who doesn't. The point is that the movie's very funny and actually quite smart.

Once we see Mona Dearly fly over a cliff in a car, the sense of craziness sets in. Your basic human instincts will at first allow you to feel bad for Mona (I hope). But once you see every person in town partying and laughing over her "timely" death, you can't help but play along. The part where Jeff, Mona's son played by Marcus Thomas, asks the police why Mona was driving his car while popping open a beer is absolutely priceless! The main characters in the film are Bobby Calzone (Casey Affleck) and Chief Rash (DeVito). Chief Rash is the only person in town who cares about Mona's death. Well, maybe it's more that it's his job than he really cares. Heck, even his co-workers could care less. Bobby also (kind of) feels sorry for Mona, but is allowed to laugh and enjoy the situation thanks to his fiancé Ellen (Neve Campbell). So for most of the movie, Rash just drives around in his Geo--take note of the opening disclaimer--and asks townies questions about what kind of person Mona truly was. The responses are all hilarious. I could go into great detail with almost 50 different quotes or scenes that back up the fact that Mona Dearly was a horrible person who deserved to die. But I just don't have the time. You really have to hear/see them to believe it. As I hinted to, William Fichtner's performance as Phil Dearly is hands down the best. He plays the ill-fated-but-happily-sorrowing-over-the-worst-person-he'd-ever-met husband. He is a very suspicious character, and seems to know something that no one else does. He puts the blame on Bobby Calzone, who is one of the most harmless people you could ever meet. What makes this particularly interesting is that Bobby is the future son-in-law of Chief Rash. So that is very hard for Rash, and us, the viewer, to believe. `Drowning Mona' is pretty much a "whodunit" movie with a twist that makes you laugh and think at the same time. I guess I can't rebuff the fact that the storyline becomes predictable over time. And that's the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars. But you'll still be impressed with the shifts between past and present and definitely the comedy. There's also an excellent cameo from former SNL star Will Ferrell. I won't spoil the rest.

If you enjoy Danny DeVito's work and/or a good comedy with bizarre twists, then you will love `Drowning Mona'. The acting by everyone is unquestionably flawless; and the only thing that doesn't excite is its ill-timed predictability. Once more, take special note of William Fichtner and Marcus Thomas. Being that they are the "family members" makes it just that much funnier. There's really no other movies available that are comparable to this one. And that's certainly a good thing for some. But if you dwell in straightforwardness and don't appreciate the idea of thinking, you might not enjoy this one. It's crazy, it's hilarious, it's silly, it's well thought-out, but most importantly it's time well spent. I highly recommend this to anyone who'd enjoy an innovative comedy or likes any of the actors or actresses in the cast list. Don't overlook this one.

5/5 Pure fun
  by Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA)
Do not watch "Drowning Mona" if you're expecting something as deep as an Ingmar Bergman flick. On the other hand, if you enjoy outrageously black comedy, sit back, turn up the volume a little higher than usual to catch some of the very witty one-liners and enjoy.

Bette Midler is a nightmare come true. A small-town shrew whom everyone hates. Thus it takes only a few scenes to set up the cheering section as she gets into her son's car, roars off down the road, hits the brakes to slow for a turn . . . and plunges over a cliff when the brakes fail. Not only does no one care about Mona's fate, but one of Police Chief Danny DeVito's cops says to forget about it when DeVito suggests an investigation.

The probable suspect is none other than Affleck, who is to become DeVito's son-in-law within a matter of days.

The movie now becomes Agatha Christie on steroids or worse as DeVito tries to find out who sabotaged Midler's brakes. No one is unhappy that Midler is gone. Not her son, not her husband, not her husband's lover, the town eccentric or anyone else. Mona was not well liked. Of course, just about everyone is a suspect.

Sure, the plot has as much thickness as a shirtboard. But the writing is witty and bright and the acting by DeVito, Midler, Jamie Lee Curtis, Affleck and everyone else is top-notch.

Pure and simple, this is a fun movie, a black comedy that never takes itself seriously, but is well directed and well measured. As one movie studio used to say "that's entertainment" and "Drowning Mona" most definitely is entertaining.

Jerry

5/5 Timeless
  by M. Willey (Phatthaya, Thailand)
I first caught this movie when it was running on a movie channel on TV. I went out and bought it the next day -- I've never done that before.

This has to be one of the most hilarious and entertaining movies I own. No one could have played Mona better than Bette Middler, and the acting of William Fitchner and Danny DeVito make the movie... not to mention the vulnerable Bobby played by Casey Affleck whose blond wig is priceless.

The yugo gag, the way these backwards-arsed country folk are portrayed as well as the fine choice of music such as "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry, and the bit played during Ellie's panic make this movie one that I'm prod to show friends I have over.

If you like to laugh and giggle, give Drowning Mona a spin.

4/5 Dark Humor Aint for Everyone
  by Jennifer J. Jacobs (Tulsa, OK)
This is a hilarious movie. The actors in this movie should all be commended for giving subtle, laugh-your-tail off funny performances. The folks who gave it low ratings don't get dark comedy and/or were expecting typical character portrayals from the big name stars (particularly DeVito and Midler).

My husband and I hadn't expected much from this film because the trailers were so cryptic and we personally aren't too into Bette Midler, but from the first to last scene we were in stitches. Example: Neve Campbell's character freaks out when her fiance (played by Casey Affleck) tells her he killed Mona. As she storms off, saying that now she has to deal with her fiance being a murderer while taking care of wedding plans, he weakly calls after her, "We need milk." Another example: Mona's two sons go to her gravestone and see that the inscription says, "Demoted mother, wife, and dressmaker." One guy looks at the other and says, "I didn't know mom was a dressmaker," and the other says, "Me neither." Although I'm sure I'm killing the humor by trying to relay it without context, comic timing, or nonverbal communication, this is the kind of humor that you'll find in "Drowning Mona." If you're offended by this kind of thing, don't bother. Everyone in the town hated Mona, so a lot of the jokes center on her death.

And I've gotta' respond to reviewers who didn't see the point of the Yugos' omnipresence, even though it sort of detracts from the funniness. As a plot device, it's necessary precisely because Yugos were such cheap and unsafe cars that Mona's brakes could possibly have failed due to manufacturer error. If everyone had been driving Porches, there wouldn't have been any mystery at all. Also, you can't help but laugh when every character in the movie jumps in a colorful little bumper car, which sometimes needs a running start, to get around.

5/5 Eccentricities are a Good Thing
  by E. kennington (Lawrence, Kansas)
Many of the reviews I have read for Drowning Mona have been negative. Not many people can appreciate the eccentricities in this movie. It is no wonder then that the Region 2 DVD is outselling the American version (Region 1) by a longshot. The rest of the world can appreciate this movie, why cant we? I was not a fan of this movie upon first view, but then one night, I threw it in & viewed it with no expectations from director Nick Gomez. I fell in love with it. Being asked what he thought about Mona Dearly, Casey Affleck's character Bobby Kalzone states "Mona, she was the worst person I ever knew, just, in my entire life", the following flashback is the icing on the cake. The movie is filled with funny gems like this one. Bette Midler is fabulous, especially coming from me, since I dont usually like the roles she opts for. Neve Campbell is great & seems to be a screen giant in her role as Bobby's fiance. William Fitchner is also a highlight in his role as Phil Dearly. "You snooze, you lose" was Phil's response when given condolances of his wife's death from Peter Dobson's character Lt. Feege Gruber...Unbelievable! Danny Devito's role as Chief Rash is minimal but Devito was perfectly cast for the role. Other notables are Jamie Lee Curtis & Will Ferrell. Buy this movie, it grows on you like your In-Laws.