Tony Manero (2008)

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The acting in this movie is really good.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

Larrain has certainly developed a particular style and flavor when it comes to making a political or social statement--about the past or present. Tony Manero is early signs of Larrain's unique use of dark (jet black) humor and violence to illuminate the ills of Chilean society. In Monero he transmutes the hellish history of Pinochet's dictatorship into the delusional, psychopathic, obsessive, thieving, serial killing lead who happens to be a Tony Manero wannabe. Alfredo Castro is freakishly amazing playing the Saturday Night Fever-era Travolta obsessed monster. Yes, the film could have been better if Larrain would have delved a bit deeper into "Tony," yet the film still stands solidly in its allegory (albeit thin) about dictatorial rule and the symptoms of an oppressive and broken society. Larrain is a confident young director willing to take risks, which is fun to watch in itself, not to mention that the film is funny, entertaining, brutally awkward at times (in the best way possible), while also being horrific and gritty. Holding all of these elements together is a delicate balancing act that even a young Larrain can do. Costume and set design is pinpoint in capturing the 70s without falling into kitsch, which would have been extremely easy to do given that the lead is obsessed with young Travolta, disco and being Tony Manero. As aforementioned Castro's turn in Manero is amazing, as usual; he also helped Larrain write the script. Tony Manero is certainly worth a spin, but is not a film for the weak of stomach...and after giving it a spin give it another, more than likely you will be glad you did. P.S. If you are looking for something along the line of his mainstream film NO!...well, you're looking in the wrong place, even though the political themes carry through.

The film Tony Manero is an interesting concept: an impersonator who devotes himself entirely to the persona he is trying to imitate. In a sort of Don Quijote-type situation the main character of Raúl becomes consumed by his desire to become Tony Manero and does outrageous things that at times are comical but are mostly just appalling. The harsh crudeness off the movie was repulsive. The overwhelming amount of violence and unattractive nudity were a huge-turnoff. Unfortunately there was no redeeming quality about Raúl. His promiscuity and rampant violence are extremely unappealing. He never gets punished for all the horrible things he does and the viewer is left feeling disturbed and without any hope for relief. Most movies about Latin America have some sense of a harsh reality but this movie is excessive in it's portrayal, it's TOO MUCH.

THis film sneaks up on you - there is something unsettling and powerful about it. The lead performance is raw, real and sad. This guy is a low street thief who has a circle of whores and other lowlifes around him. It doesn't matter if you know a bit about the horrible regime of General Pinochet who was in power when the film is set - 1978 but the movie is a metaphor for this brutal dictator's control of the country - insane behavior creating insane results. The lead guy is obsessed with Travolta's film Saturday Night Fever - he watches it in a movie theatre endlessly - memorizing the dialogue and all of Travolta's moves and dance steps. A Chile TV Variety show has celebrity look-a-like contests and he was to enter and win the Tony Manero contest - white suit and all. This movie feels like a documentary - and there are moments of calm followed by shocking displays of violence. I can see that this film might not be for everyone but I found it to be incredibly powerful. I disagree with the summary on this page though that describes the guy as a "serial killer" - he is not a serial killer - he just makes sure to get anyone out the way who stands between him and his obsession.

If that infamous movie character name of this foreign film's title is dancing very familiarly in your head, you have a good guess on who it is; none other than John Travolta's character in the 70's classic "Saturday Night Fever". So why is Tony Manero dancing now with foreign stars? Well, the character of Tony Manero not only took our nation by storm, but also had profound global awareness in the 70's and thereafter. The movie "Tony Manero" steps its way into the obsessed mind of protagonist Raul Perelta, a middle-aged serial killer residing in 1970's Chile under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Perelta has some scary moves by sabotaging anything or anyone who gets in his way in perfecting the embodiment & characterization of Tony Manero. In other words, not many that cross the Peralta pathway are "staying alive" throughout the film's narrative. His premier quest is to dance his way to the top prize in a Chilean TV show's "Tony Manero celebrity impersonation" contest. Director Pablo Larrain and screenwriters Alfredo Castro & Mateo Iribarren formulate the character of Peralta as such a disturbed and repulsive protagonist that it questions "how deep were their thoughts" in the film's developing process. The Raul Peralta character is so repugnant and odious that it automatically disengages one to the film's central narrative. Castro's leading performance as Manero had a severe case of the "thespian broken record syndrome" with its monotone method. If it can have you Mr. Castro, then why not include other similar subpar performances from the film's supporting cast. Now I must admit that I enjoyed a few scenes of "Tony Manero" that paid homage to "Saturday Night Fever" including when Peralta mumbles the lines of Fever in the theatre while watching it countless times, his shock when he first observes that John Travolta's Danny Zuko character in "Grease" is a far cry from Travolta's Manero, and to some degree the film's Manero impersonation contest during the film's climax. But when "Tony Manero" turns into Peralta's maddening ways it deteriorates into a big slap on the face on the Fever legacy. Overall, "Tony Manero" is a feverless 2009 movie odyssey that is not worth taking. *** Average