Movies |
Mad Dogs
By
Published: Mar 31, 2016
Category:
Comedy
Guest Butler Jaime Pond is a New York anglophile and nerd. He is the editor of Anglonerd.com, “America’s geekiest guide to British entertainment.”
“Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun” is a line from a Noel Coward song and the title reference to Cris Cole’s TV show “Mad Dogs,” about five Englishmen on vacation in Spain. Cole has recently remade the series for Amazon Prime members with five American men on vacation in Belize. They didn’t change the title, but as you watch the new series, you’ll feel that the characters are quintessentially American. These “mad dogs” cannot survive in the wild, or anywhere outside the States. They aren’t savvy enough not to walk around town with their passports in their pockets or to get inoculated before crossing the border. They’re preoccupied with the size of Coke cans and the purpose of Linked In. And they get a little too excited when they’ve successfully managed to restart their stolen boat after a drug dealer threw a fuse overboard.
Joel, Lex, Gus, and Cobi are not bad men, or so they keep reminding us. When their college buddy Milo invites them to his luxurious villa in Belize, how are they supposed to know it’s a cry for help? How are they supposed to know that Milo is wrapped up in some kind of international Mafia deal? How are they supposed to know that what they thought was a joyride on Milo’s friend Jesus’s boat is going to land them on the run from gangsters, the local police, the FBI, the CIA, and a man in a cat mask?
“Mad Dogs” is a high-stress crime thriller (or a dark comedy, depending on who you ask) with winding plot lines (there are enemies and there are enemies of enemies), secrets (how does financial consultant Cobi know how to talk to drug dealers?), and a rocky history (Lex knows what was in the recommendation letter that ruined his life) that make the old friends grow more and more suspicious of each other. As much as they try to pull away from one another, the show’s surreal sense of implausible coincidence or spiritual interference prevents them from remaining separated for very long. [To buy the ENGLISH VERSION of the DVD from Amazon — the American remake is not yet available — click here.]
“Mad Dogs” is beautifully shot, with lush settings, a cinematic feel, and a unique close-up style that allows actors to look directly into the lens. With these close shots, we can see the flicker of doubt on Cobi’s (Stave Zahn) face as he, the weakest willed of the bunch, considers betraying his pals at the first promise of escape. We watch Gus (Romany Malco) unravel outward as Joel (Ben Chaplin) unravels inward. Chaplin has perfected the empty stare for Joel’s PTSD, mirroring his predecessor Philip Glenister.
While Gus might wind up being our point-of-view character, if the British version is anything to go by, it’s Lex (Michael Imperioli) whose head we crawl inside. With him, we experience either a drug-induced delusion, a spiritual encounter, or both. Whether by boat or by car, Lex is always the driver because he’s the only one with a sense of direction, but that may also be because, as a recovering alcoholic, he’s the obvious choice as designated driver.
These superb stars are backed by a strong supporting cast of Philip Davis (“Sherlock”), Allison Tolman (“Fargo”), Billy Zane (“Titanic”), Ted Levine (“Monk”), and Mark Povinelli as the cat. Maria Botto was so good as the local police chief in the British version, they brought her back as the same character in Amazon’s version, this time with an expanded role.
“Jesus is everywhere,” we are reminded on signs and bumper stickers. The dogs would like to believe this because it suggests that their fate is up to a god, or up to an all-powerful gangster, depending on which Jesus it means. Either way, it implies that these men are good people messed up in something beyond their control. Yet, looking back at the poor decisions they’ve made on their journey, Lex says, “We brought this on ourselves.” What do you think — unlucky saps in an unfortunate situation or sinners being punished on a road to nowhere?
