Bonzo (2013) User Reviews

Such Potential

[dmoorejdrf-30802 · 4/10 · 24 February 2020]

The plot to this film has great potential but fails on many fronts. A depressed man, having lost his beloved dog seeks isolation living alone in a cabin in the woods. He farms (small plot classified better as a very weak garden), chops wood for his fireplace and seeks to build a pipe bomb. The actor playing title character is appealing and I if given the opportunity could showcase talent. Here's where the film falls way short. Way too much time is spent watching the main character walk from his cabin to the shed or the barn, chopping wood or pumping water. He stokes the fireplace fire in several scenes. That is the extent and essence of the movie. Clearly this man has issues but those aren't developed! He is visited a couple of times by his sister but there isnt much dialogue or character development. Also, this guy is living in a cabin in the woods with no electricity or running water for months. Yet he is always clean shaven and his hair hasn't grown even a tenth of an inch. It's these type of details that make a movie more believable. It is never explained why he's building a pipe bomb. Nor why he arms himself up and goes out to an approaching policeman where movie fades to black screen, we hear shots and the movie is over. I liked the actor and I think the plot had potential but comes off more as rapid attempt to get a movie in the can.

Great premise that went nowhere

[lindasue-50133 · 1/10 · 22 February 2019]

Stumbled across this on Tubi TV, and from the synopsis I decided to give it a whirl. I guess I was expecting something quirky... My bad for assuming.

I don't mind slow films at all, and I was interested in the theme of the man alone in the woods (and myself, I would LOVE to live alone in the woods!!), but I wasn't expecting it to be "a day in the life of" sort of movie. That's not slow, that's boring. I fast-forwarded through most of it.

For example a man typing and typing is not at all interested, unless it's The Shining. Definitely there has to be some undercurrent to make the action be anything but monotonous.

Continued to fast forward and stop periodically, but gave up around 1:03 minutes in. Couldn't bring myself to watch the last 13 minutes.

I guess this is an indie movie. Why is it all in the movies the characters are moping around, harbouring some inner turmoil? The audience needs more than only that.

Seriously, if they had handled their interesting concept as a whimsical or quirky movie, this could've been amazing.