Covering the topic of death in film can be done successfully in many different ways, but it's very difficult to make the subject matter beautiful. However, filmmaking duo KnifeRock manages to do just that with their dark comedy Moon Manor. The film brilliantly blends humor with melancholy, feeling like a surrealistic biography. Perhaps the biggest feat this film accomplishes is being not only a touching meditation on death but on life as well.
Moon Manor tells the story of Jimmy (James Carrozo), an 84-year-old man with Alzheimer's who decides it's his time to go. Jimmy doesn't want his death to be a sad affair, but rather a celebration, so he plans his own "fun"-eral. Attendees include his loving caregiver Remy (Reshma Gajjar), eccentric death doula Fritti (Debra Wilson), and curious journalist Andrew (Lou Tayor Pucci). Jimmy will also have to deal with his religious brother Gordon (Richard Riehle), who is protesting his event. Through this experience, Jimmy realizes that both life and death are full of meaning and beauty.
Moon Manor feels like a celebration of a man's life rather than just a straightforward narrative. This may be because the film takes truths from Carrozo's own life journey, causing the movie to hold a lot more power than just a standard, quirky dark comedy. Flashback sequences to Jimmy's youth and young adulthood never feel out of place and always add to the story. It seems that Jimmy is Carrozo in most ways. Since the known LGBTQ+ activist and performer hasn't had many film credits to his name, Moon Manor seems like an attempt to grace audiences with getting to know this kind soul -- and it succeeds.
While Moon Manor is an enjoyable cinematic experience, the ending packs a major punch that may be able to pull at the heartstrings of even the most hardened of viewers. The movie frequently shows how important Jimmy is to others and how much he impacted them and society as a whole. Moon Manor almost plays out like an indie, queer version of Forrest Gump, watching an unlikely figure make his mark in the world in ways no one expected. However, Moon Manor contains an authenticity that Forrest Gump never had.
Moon Manor has a feeling of tranquility about it, with its blueish color palette and slick cinematography. There is a vibrant earthy feeling to this film that is most prominent whenever a mysterious, hooded figure known as The Intuition makes an appearance. The performances are another major strong point. Carrozo is showcasing himself, and it's almost impossible to not fall in love with him throughout the film's runtime. Wilson, who is mainly known for being a cast member on Mad TV, shines here, delivering a performance that is at once over-the-top and nuanced. The rest of the ensemble is obviously having a great time in a film that is as bizarrely funny as it is heart-wrenching.
The only real negative aspect of this film is its few pacing issues, especially in the first half. Some scenes of conversation go on for way longer than they have to, breaking the spiritual trippiness that the film usually evokes. If the final cut of the film had about five to 10 minutes removed, it would possibly be a perfect film. Nevertheless, Moon Manor is still a heartfelt and humorous look at life and death that introduces the many talents of James Carrozo to the big screen.
Moon Manor opens in limited release and On Demand March 11.