After being surprised by James Franco's comic chops in Pineapple Express, I went back to watch any and all comedies he's ever done. The Ape is certainly a different brand of humor than Apatow's Freaks & Geeks. There is a very dark element throughout, which recalls Kafka more than Dostoevsky (who is the literary muse on screen). The film is an unmistakable stageplay-- founded on dialogue, helping itself to more absurdity than cinema generally allows. Not that these are necessarily bad things. The quasi-philosophical exchanges between Harry and the Ape are by far the strongest sections of this movie (the SMAD practice presentation scene sent a roomful of us into fits). It's a bit problematic when the same level of expository philosophy seeps into the dialogue outside of Harry's apartment, however (as in the scene where Harry's coworkers discuss the merits of "boredom"). As an actor, Franco looks like he's having fun, and makes a wise choice to punctuate the dialogue-heavy script with a lot of physical slapstick. As a director, there are glaring problems with filming angles, especially in the early scenes where the unsteady camera is downright distracting. Only in the final scene does the cinematography finally come into its own. Despite some obvious flaws, the film felt like an enjoyable outing to a small local theater.
