2023 film
The Monk and the Gun
|
---|
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f7/The_Monk_and_the_Gun_poster.jpg/220px-The_Monk_and_the_Gun_poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster
|
Directed by
| Pawo Choyning Dorji
|
---|
Written by
| Pawo Choyning Dorji
|
---|
Produced by
|
- Pawo Choyning Dorji
- Feng Hsu
- Stephanie Lai
- Jean-Christophe Simon
- Janee Pennington
|
---|
Starring
|
- Tandin Wangchuk
- Deki Lhamo
- Pema Zangmo Sherpa
- Tandin Sonam
- Harry Einhorn
- Choeying Jatsho
- Tandin Phubz
- Yuphel Lhendup Selden
- Kelsang Choejay
|
---|
Cinematography
| Jigme Tenzing
|
---|
Edited by
| Hsiao Yun-Ku
|
---|
Music by
| Frederic Alvarez
|
---|
Production
companies
|
- Films Boutique
- Dangphu Dingphu: A 3 Pigs Production
- Journey to the East Films
- Tomson Films
- Closer
- N8
- Wooden Trailer Productions
|
---|
Distributed by
| |
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Release dates
|
- September 1, 2023
(
2023-09-01
)
(
Telluride
)
- October 17, 2023
(
2023-10-17
)
(Bhutan)
- February 9, 2024
(
2024-02-09
)
(United States)
- June 26, 2024
(
2024-06-26
)
(France)
|
---|
Running time
| 107 minutes
|
---|
Countries
|
- Bhutan
- Taiwan
- France
- United States
- Hong Kong
|
---|
Languages
| |
---|
Box office
| $480 thousand
[4]
[5]
|
---|
The Monk and the Gun
is a 2023
drama
film directed, written and co-produced by
Pawo Choyning Dorji
,
[6]
and starring Tandin Wangchuk, Deki Lhamo, Pema Zangmo Sherpa, Tandin Sonam, Harry Einhorn, Choeying Jatsho, Tandin Phubz, Yuphel Lhendup Selden and Kelsang Choejay.
[7]
It is an international
co-production
between
Bhutan
,
Taiwan
, France, the United States, and
Hong Kong
.
[8]
The Monk and the Gun
premiered at the
50th Telluride Film Festival
on 1 September 2023. It was selected as the Bhutanese entry for the
Best International Feature Film
at the
96th Academy Awards
,
[9]
and was one of the 15 finalist films in the December shortlist.
[10]
The film was
theatrically released
in North America on 2 February 2024,
[4]
and is scheduled to be released in France on 26 June 2024.
[5]
Plot
[
edit
]
In 2006, as
Bhutan
prepares to hold its democratic election, Bhutanese government stages a
mock election
as a training exercise. In the town of
Ura
, an old
lama
instructs young monk Tashi to procure some
firearms
by way of preparation for the impending upheaval. Meanwhile, American visitor Ron Coleman arrives in the country to acquire for a weapons collector an antique rifle - which by chance falls into the monk's hands.
[11]
[12]
Cast
[
edit
]
- Harry Einhorn as Ron Coleman
- Tandin Wangchuk as Tashi
- Deki Lhamo as Tshomo
- Pema Zangmo Sherpa as Tshering Yangden
- Tandin Sonam as Benji
- Choeying Jatsho as Choephel
- Tandin Phubz as Phurba
- Yuphel Lhendup Selden
- Kelsang Choejay
Release
[
edit
]
The Monk and the Gun
had its world premiere on September 1, 2023, at the
50th Telluride Film Festival
,
[13]
and then screened on September 9 in the Centerpiece section of the
48th Toronto International Film Festival
.
[14]
[15]
It was also invited at the
28th Busan International Film Festival
in the 'A Window on Asian Cinema' section and was screened in October 2023.
[16]
In October 2023,
Roadside Attractions
acquired the North American distribution rights to the film.
[17]
The film's North American release was on February 2, 2024.
[18]
[4]
The film was released on 2 May 2024 in Italy (where it grossed $315 thousand, as of 3 June 2024
[update]
). It is scheduled to be released in France and Belgium on 26 June 2024; in Germany on 1 August and in Spain on 9 August 2024.
[5]
Reception
[
edit
]
Critical response
[
edit
]
On the
review aggregator
website
Rotten Tomatoes
, 92% of 38 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Surrounding its poignant insights with a gentle layer of crowd-pleasing comedy,
The Monk and the Gun
is a timely political satire that underscores the fragility of democracy."
[19]
Metacritic
, which uses a
weighted average
, assigned the film a score of 74 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
[20]
Deadline Hollywood
'
s chief film critic Pete Hammond called it one of the best films in the
50th Telluride Film Festival
, writing that there was "no sophomore jinx here, this one is even better than
Pawo Choyning Dorji
's first, and that is saying something", and that the director "presents a gentle satirical jab at American democracy, but shows the difficulties of changing a society whose pure and lovely innocence stands in the way of a political revolution, even as they are also just discovering
James Bond
and
The Spice Girls
".
[21]
Alex Billington of the First Showing described the film as "a fascinating philosophical look at life in Bhutan, which was told with confidence and filmed absolutely perfectly", hailing it as "a brilliant satirical commentary on America's stubborn ways, as opposed to the more sensible Bhutan society based in Buddhism. Not only is watching
The Monk and the Gun
such a pleasant and uplifting experience, it's the kind of film that will leave you profoundly affected by the story." Billington further added that the film was "one-of-a-kind", and that it "[provided] a profoundly distinct perspective on Buddhist philosophy and Himalayan culture that many are entirely unfamiliar with and can't quite make sense of".
[22]
Reviewing the film for
The Hollywood Reporter
, Stephen Farber praised performances of the entire cast, the film's humour and its fast-paced narrative, whilst criticising the plot's excessively contrived development.
[23]
Accolades
[
edit
]
The Monk and the Gun
won the Showcase Audience Choice Award for the 2023
Vancouver International Film Festival
.
[24]
The film was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the 2023
Rome Film Festival
.
[25]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Dams, Tim.
"Films Boutique boards latest film from Bhutanese director of Oscar-nominated 'Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom' (exclusive)"
.
Screen Daily
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-11-11
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
.
- ^
a
b
Keslassy, Elsa (2023-10-26).
"Bhutan's Oscar Entry 'The Monk and the Gun' Sells to Major Distributors Worldwide"
.
Variety
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-10-30
. Retrieved
2023-10-31
.
- ^
Hammond, Pete (18 October 2023).
"Roadside Attractions Takes North American Rights To Bhutan Oscar Entry 'The Monk And The Gun' Following Telluride and Toronto Premieres"
.
Deadline Hollywood
.
Archived
from the original on 18 October 2023
. Retrieved
18 October
2023
.
- ^
a
b
c
"
The Monk and the Gun (2023)
"
.
Box Office Mojo
.
IMDb
. Retrieved
7 June
2024
.
- ^
a
b
c
"
The Monk and the Gun (2024)
"
.
The Numbers
. Nash Information Services, LLC
. Retrieved
7 June
2024
.
- ^
"First Trailer for Fascinating 'The Monk and the Gun' Film from Bhutan | FirstShowing.net"
.
FirstShowing.net
. 2023-09-03.
Archived
from the original on 2023-09-05
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
.
- ^
"Bhutan Selects Pawo Choyning Dorji's 'The Monk and The Gun' as Oscar Entry for Best International Feature"
.
VIMooZ
. 2023-09-08.
Archived
from the original on 2023-10-08
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
.
- ^
"The Monk and the Gun de Pawo Choyning Dorji (2023) ? Unifrance"
.
Unifrance
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-09-08
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
.
- ^
Goodfellow, Melanie (2023-09-08).
"Oscars: Bhutan Submits Toronto Title 'The Monk And The Gun' For Best International Feature"
.
Deadline
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-09-08
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
.
- ^
Bergeson, Samantha (2023-12-21).
"2024 Oscar Shortlists Unveiled: 'Barbie,' 'Poor Things,' 'Maestro,' and 'The Zone of Interest' Make the Cut"
.
IndieWire
. Retrieved
2023-12-22
.
- ^
"The Monk and the Gun"
.
Toronto International Film Festival
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-09-16
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
.
- ^
Thompson, Anne (2023-09-09).
"Bhutan's Oscar Submission 'The Monk and the Gun' Captures an Evolving Nation at a Moment of Transition"
.
IndieWire
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-09-10
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
.
- ^
Thompson, Anne (2023-08-30).
"2023 Telluride Film Festival Lineup Leans on Filmmakers Like Lanthimos, Fennell, Haigh, Triet, and More"
.
IndieWire
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-09-20
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
.
- ^
arnewsteam (2023-08-10).
"TIFF Announces 2023 Centerpiece Program"
.
Awards Radar
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-10-08
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
.
- ^
Ramachandran, Naman (2023-08-10).
"Agnieszka Holland, Wim Wenders, Aki Kaurismaki, Hamaguchi Ryusuke Feature in Toronto Centrepiece Program"
.
Variety
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-08-18
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
.
- ^
"The 28th Busan International Film Festival: Selection List"
.
Busan International Film Festival
. September 5, 2023.
Archived
from the original on September 15, 2023
. Retrieved
September 12,
2023
.
- ^
Hammond, Pete (18 October 2023).
"Roadside Attractions Takes North American Rights To Bhutan Oscar Entry 'The Monk And The Gun' Following Telluride and Toronto Premieres"
.
Deadline Hollywood
.
Archived
from the original on 18 October 2023
. Retrieved
18 October
2023
.
- ^
"The Monk and The Gun - Official Trailer"
,
IGN
, 2023-12-07
, retrieved
2023-12-27
- ^
"
The Monk and the Gun
"
.
Rotten Tomatoes
.
Fandango Media
. Retrieved
2024-02-15
.
- ^
"
The Monk and the Gun
"
.
Metacritic
.
Fandom, Inc.
Retrieved
2024-02-13
.
- ^
Hammond, Pete (2023-09-04).
"
'The Monk And The Gun' Review/Interview: Bhutan Director Pawo Choyning Dorji's 2nd Film Even Tops The Oscar-Nominated 'Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom' ? Telluride Film Festival"
.
Deadline
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-09-28
. Retrieved
2023-09-22
.
- ^
Billington, Alex (2023-09-17).
"TIFF Review: 'The Monk and the Gun' is a Brilliant Story from Bhutan"
.
Firstshowing
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-10-08
. Retrieved
2023-09-22
.
- ^
Farber, Stephen (2023-09-05).
"
'The Monk and the Gun' Review: From Bhutan, a Wry Satirical Comedy About Democracy and Violence"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-09-12
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
.
- ^
Wells, V.S. (2023-10-05).
"
'VIFF announces award winners'
"
.
The Georgia Straight
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-10-14
. Retrieved
2023-11-03
.
- ^
Scarpa, Vittoria (2023-10-30).
"
'Pedagio triunfa en la 18.ª Fiesta del Cine de Roma'
"
.
cineuropa
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-11-03
. Retrieved
2023-11-03
.
External links
[
edit
]