B. Monkey is a stylish British thriller annex tragi-romance. The quiet bookworm and jazz-lover Alan is a teacher and a very ordinary sort of guy. He falls in love with the mysterious Italian beauty Beatrice. They do not seem well suited at first sight: he leads a protected and regular life, she is fast and criminal (a difference of character that is also shown visually in calm-natural versus fast-cut scenes). But opposites attract, and when romance blossoms, Beatrice does everything to escape from the seedy side of life. Debts however force her to break in just one more time…Photography and locations are beautiful. We see both the classic upper-class and the trendy side of London after which the action moves to the countryside. The unlikely romance between Alan and Beatrice becomes totally credible, largely thanks to Asia Argento, the daughter of the Italian B-film-maker Dario Argento, who plays Beatrice. The performances of the two fringe figures Beatrice lives with, the gay Paul (Rupert Everett) and his psychotic young boyfriend Bruno (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), are striking. As a result of much post-production quibbling, the film was only completed two years after shooting. The director’s chair was originally intended for Michael-Caton Jones, but in the end it was occupied by Radford.Variety: ‘Pic moves like an express train.’ Sit down and lean back…
