Time and again, no amount of effort by a cast, director, or, say, the person assigned to operate the cameras can save a movie from any number of failings, be they the overall quality or the film’s ability to make sense.  This analysis is far from groundbreaking, and at its core level, a film can still be considered something of a success if said film is, at the very least, pleasing to the eye and not possess the look of something assembled in a manner that suggests the team behind the scenes doesn’t understand their craft.  This sort of success can stem from a combination of those who oversaw the project and even those who edited it into existence, with anything beyond that simply being a bonus that can hopefully take a movie into the realm of memorable art.  Unfortunately, ”Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose” is a perfect example of a movie that simply meets the minimum criteria, a bizarre piece of work that never offers any reason to justify its existence nor leave a lasting impression.
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Based on a true story of sorts, “Nandor Fodor” takes place sometime in the 1930s on the Isle of Man, where the eponymous Fodor (Simon Pegg), a sought-after parapsychologist, has come to investigate claims made by the rural-dwelling Irving family that their pet mongoose Gef somehow possesses the gift of gab and can converse in a manner indistinguishable from a human being.  Accompanied by his assistant Anne (Minnie Driver), what results from this setup is 96 minutes of nearly every character, from Fodor to the Irvings’ on-site groundskeeper Errol (Gary Beadle) questioning the existence of the animal and his speaking abilities, even if all of this is in fact true, the title sounds more at home as a children’s storybook, and it’s sad to admit it may have worked better in such a medium.
It would somehow be easy and difficult to say that “Nandor Fodor” possesses some sort of commentary on the way a person can question what’s real from the opening scene, which serves to set the unusual tone of the film depicting an interview with Fodor in which he claims to see a person in the room that no one else can, or the legendary stories told shortly thereafter of Harry Houdini and the way with which he set about debunking the psychic ability of supposed mediums throughout his career.  Unfortunately, the avalanche of dialogue throughout can’t help but nearly smother these moments and many others; at times, one can’t help but notice a Wes Anderson-esque atmosphere throughout, heard no better than in an annoyingly endless first-act monologue by Christopher Lloyd‘s Harry Price, a Fodor counterpart who similarly investigated Gef sometime prior.  It also becomes clear that, whether intentional that’s in keeping with the reality-bending mentality of its characters or a fumble on behalf of director Adam Sigal, the film dances between moments that seem hellbent on generating laughter, whether in a shouted curse word or some stab at wit, or twisty almost-thriller; in one scene, Anne finds herself in conversation with Voirrey (Jessica Balmer), the Irvings’ daughter who’s mastered ventriloquism and not only assists in the trying to keep the confusion level of the film at the surface but also inadvertently provides an oddly tense moment in which her voice-throwing abilities lead to Anne’s suspicion that the off-putting Voirrey may be the one behind Gef’s talents; it’s strange to label this one of the movie’s most unusual moments in a film that feels like it should have more, but in keeping with the film’s theme, that’s the truth.
Don’t worry; there’s still a handful of onscreen lifejackets that help the film from capsizing entirely.  The few genuine chuckles come from unexpected flashes like an overly bumpy car ride Mr.  Irving (Tim Downie) gives Fodor and Anne to the farm where his family lives or even some of Mr.  Irving’s casually amusing lines in general, and the film overall looks decent enough when showcasing the fog-drenched countryside in contrast to the dimly-lit pubs, bedrooms and offices where Fodor’s victims of his endless conversations or scene after scene of his alcohol consumption occur.  It’s these elements that try desperately to clutch the attention span of its audience, while on the acting side, Pegg sports an accent that finds itself in company with Christoph Waltz, another quirk that contributes to ultimately rendering it unclear to what degree Pegg is trying, or even whether Sigal knows what it is he’s trying to create.  Twists do materialize but serve to frustrate as opposed to captivating, and it’s all of this that makes a relatively short film feel far longer than it actually is. 
The wonderful thing about a true story is that, when bringing one to the world of film, those both in front of the camera and behind can interpret as they see fit, offering either a straightforward depiction of true events or a hopefully interesting spin.  Unfortunately, neither of these find themselves present within the confines of ”Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose,” with the end result existing simply as a directionless effort and nothing more. [C-]
“Nandor Fodor And The Talking Mongoose” is now available to rent, buy digitally.