REVIEW: Health insurance under the microscope in new ‘Monster’ film
A Monster With a Thousand Heads, the new drama from director Rodrigo Plá, pits a down-on-her-luck woman against the health insurance industry. The film from Mexico is short, running only 75 minutes, and can seem too absurd to be taken seriously; however, the towering central performance by Jana Raluy makes up for any shortcomings.
Raluy plays Sonia Bonet, a devoted mother and wife who is trying to receive an expensive medication for her ailing husband. Her journey through the bureaucracy of the healthcare industry takes her to the offices of Dr. Villalba (Hugo Albores), a man who tries every which way to keep out of Sonia’s view.
At first, Sonia asks reasonable questions about the whereabouts of the doctor and the company’s refusal to give her husband the medication. She makes many phone calls and tries to jump through many organizational loopholes. However, once she loses her patience, Sonia cannot stand by and watch her husband fade away. What starts as a quick act of violence — pulling the hair of an administrative assistant — turns into a multi-location hostage standoff that pits Sonia against the police, the industry, the world.
One of the chief issues with the film is its short running time. Although brevity can be effective, it’s tough to buy into this central character and have the plot organically grow around her decisions. If the audience wants to pause and consider her actions, they cannot. The narrative flies by without second guessing the action on the screen. Sonia’s peacefulness turns into violence so quickly that it become too jarring to believe, too strange to digest.
Thankfully, Raluy knows what she’s doing with the role. She makes Sonia a dedicated character who keeps her husband’s health and well-being at the forefront of her mind. Her looks into the distance are striking, and when she rests her chin on her husband’s chest, one feels love and loss in the air. It’s not entirely believable that Sonia would take this course of action, but Raluy makes the viewer intrinsically tied to the character’s story arc and ultimate resolution.
Plá, working off a script by Laura Santullo, should be commended for his quick storytelling techniques and emphasis on the thrilling aspects of Sonia’s story. There’s never a second wasted in the film, and although that might keep the proceedings somewhat shallow, it keeps the adrenaline pumping.
Most importantly, A Monster With a Thousand Heads, which is currently playing New York’s Film Forum, offers a lot of vital commentary on the health insurance industry. Some of the narrative elements may be specific to Mexico’s system; however, Americans should see familiarity with the bureaucracy and frustration over not receiving proper answers. It’s so difficult sometimes when commercial interests seem to win out over human ones.
A Monster With a Thousand Heads is not revolutionary, and it feels like a short story or short film elongated to feature length. However, within these pulsating 75 minutes, and with this effective central performance, the movie has a lot to say even though it doesn’t say it for a long time.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
- A Monster With a Thousand Heads
- 2015
- Directed by Rodrigo Plá
- Written by Laura Santullo
- Starring Jana Raluy and Hugo Albores
- Running time: 75 minutes
- Rating:
