"The Manipulator" is a strange film in that it only has three actors listed in the cast! I've seen a few films with small casts...but only three?! That's just amazing.
Mickey Rooney plays a man who clearly is out of his mind and has a VERY limited grasp of reality. He kidnaps a woman and forces her to act in his 'film'...a mess he's making in his warehouse where he keeps all his props and makeup since he is, when not insane, a Hollywood makeup man. Much of the film consists of the character talking to himself and his imaginary friends and co-workers...a difficult role for any actor.
Rooney's character makes Rupert Pupkin in "The King of Comedy" seem like the epitome of normalcy! Rooney rambles mostly in the movie and trying to follow his thinking is tough, since he clearly is playing a man suffering from schizophrenia. It certainly IS a most unusual character and is probably the weirdest and most daring of his very long career.
So is this any good? Well, perhaps...if you are on LSD or some other intoxicant! Otherwise it's very tough going and it's a film that certainly isn't for most viewers. To me, it felt too bizarre and slow...and a bit embarrassing when I saw Rooney wearing women's makeup. Rooney actually did a good job...but who wants to see a film like this one? Not many people, that's for sure!
Mickey Rooney plays a man who clearly is out of his mind and has a VERY limited grasp of reality. He kidnaps a woman and forces her to act in his 'film'...a mess he's making in his warehouse where he keeps all his props and makeup since he is, when not insane, a Hollywood makeup man. Much of the film consists of the character talking to himself and his imaginary friends and co-workers...a difficult role for any actor.
Rooney's character makes Rupert Pupkin in "The King of Comedy" seem like the epitome of normalcy! Rooney rambles mostly in the movie and trying to follow his thinking is tough, since he clearly is playing a man suffering from schizophrenia. It certainly IS a most unusual character and is probably the weirdest and most daring of his very long career.
So is this any good? Well, perhaps...if you are on LSD or some other intoxicant! Otherwise it's very tough going and it's a film that certainly isn't for most viewers. To me, it felt too bizarre and slow...and a bit embarrassing when I saw Rooney wearing women's makeup. Rooney actually did a good job...but who wants to see a film like this one? Not many people, that's for sure!