The Ape

Running time: 92 mins

Human resources drone and put-upon family man Harry (James Franco) imagines he could be the next Dostoyevsky if he could just get a little peace and quiet. With so much noise at home, Harry decides it?s time to move out in order to start his literary masterpiece.

When he moves into his own apartment to craft his masterpiece, instead of peace and quiet, however, Harry?s solitude is broken by an unexpected roommate?a foul-mouthed, 800-pound, Hawaiian shirt-wearing gorilla, who dons hipster clothing, lounges around the couch, and, above all, talks nonstop. After the initial panic subsides and the marking-one's-territory issues resolved, Harry learns that the ape is not that terrible of a roommate. He is, however, a very bad influence, and within a few days, Harry is estranged from his wife, sleeping with the boss he loathes, and being admonished by the ape to "get some balls and write like a man." This is definitely not how Dostoyevsky did it.

Actor James Franco?s The Ape delightfully shows how thin a line separates artistry from wilderness. An impressive directorial debut for the gifted Franco, the movie offers a hilarious look at struggling artists, the capricious nature of creativity and the need to start life anew, even if a talking ape is needed to nudge you along.

Fernando F. Croce

Preceded by: Project Huxley; dir. Simon Brown; 11min.

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