Movie Review: ‘Mountainhead’ | Moviefone

‘Mountainhead’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

Premiering on Max on May 31st is ‘Mountainhead,’ the directorial debut of ‘Succession’ creator Jesse Armstrong and featuring a similar mix of cold-eyed satire and spiky, swear-laden dialogue.

The new movie stars Steve Carell (‘The Big Short’), Jason Schwartzman (‘Asteroid City’), Ramy Youssef (‘Ramy’) and Cory Michael Smith (‘Saturday Night’).

Related Article: Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef to Star in Jesse Armstrong’s Directorial Debut

Initial Thoughts

How exactly do you follow a zeitgeisty hit like HBO’s ‘Succession,’ the story of a family of wealthy, entitled people squabbling over control of a media empire?

If you’re Jesse Armstrong, who created and ran that award-winning black comedy drama across four seasons, the answer has been to quickly whip up another tale of wealthy, entitled people, this time not related, but still squabbling and in this case, over control of even higher stakes.

Yet was it a mistake for Armstrong, who clearly showed he knew how to create compelling, if toxic characters and give actors chewy, chatty role, to head back so quickly to familiar territory? The answer is a mixture of yes and no.

Script and Direction

Armstrong, whose credits stretch back to the likes of the movies ‘Four Lions’ and ‘In the Loop’ and on TV, UK series ‘The Thick of It,’‘Peep Show’ and ‘Fresh Meat,’ has a particular style and sensibility he has developed working with the likes of fellow creators Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci (the latter created ‘The Thick of it’ and also worked on HBO’s ‘Veep’).

There are no sacred cows safe from slaughtering, but Armstrong’s focus in recent years has been the super-rich, the fact that all the money, gadgets and excess in the world can’t buy you happiness and their disdain for the “common” working people. It’s a 21st century spin on out-of-touch rulers, these titans who either inherited their wealth or got lucky through routes such as paradigm-shifting technology and their craven ways.

‘Mountainhead’ is no different, featuring at its core four toxic techies who revel in their wealth, swap insults and make big plans for how they’re going to shape the world to their own ideas.

The script for the new movie is full of Armstrong’s trademark, sniping zingers, including one of the foursome describing the décor of another’s new mountain retreat as “Ayn Bland” (yes, the film’s title, which is also the name of the sprawling, concrete-and-glass monstrosity, is a nod to Ayn Rand’s novel ‘The Fountainhead’).

But though Armstrong certainly draws some darkly-hued, often cruel laughs at the expense of these people, the actual character work is somewhat lacking. Empathy is not necessarily a requirement, but there is so little to hold on to here: merely a slow devolution into rivalry and endless preening or lack of accountability. It becomes more punishing than entertaining after a while and a late-turn dive into farce doesn’t help matters.

With just a couple of short films under his belt as director, Armstrong relies more on the tools he’s picked up working with other directors on the shows and movies he’s been involved in the past. In fact, the look of the movie is essentially ‘Succession,’ all frosty structures and minimal action. It gets the job done and the screenplay is the focus anyway.

Cast and Performances

To his credit, Armstrong has an eye for casting, and the leads are either an established talent or a rising star.

Carell plays Randall, the “Papa Bear” of the main four, who made his millions (and later, billions) before the others. He’s got fingers in a multitude of pies, but his good-natured charm –– feeding off the actor’s own –– hides a mercenary zeal.

Schwartzman has specialized in slightly offbeat characters for years, and his Hugo Van Yalk (nicknamed “Soup” as in “soup kitchen,” because he’s the only multimillionaire among this group of “b-nut” bros) is a typically needy, funny type, desperate to secure investment for a new wellness app. When things take an even crazier turn, Schwartzman’s talent for physical comedy shines.

Cory Michael Smith has been making a name for himself on screens both big and small, and was particularly impressive as a young, unpredictable Chevy Chase in Jason Reitman’s ‘Saturday Night’ last year. Here, he’s Venis, an Elon Musk-type peacock with a social media app that is sowing chaos across the globe (not that Venis is willing to admit or even perceive that). Despite Smith’s best efforts and a small nod towards flecks of humanity lodged in his blackened soul, the role is a loathsome one.

Finally, Ramy Youssef has been creating and starring in his own work, including sitcom ‘Ramy,’ and he provides the slightly sweeter –– which is not saying much with this group –– Jeff, whose own A.I. counterpoint to Venis’ lie-spewing social media is causing friction between the pair. Youssef is good in the part, and clearly has a handle on Armstrong’s sharp dialogue, but even he can’t make the character all that likeable.

Outside of the main foursome, pretty much everyone else has little time or opportunity to pop, as they are tiny supporting roles.

Final Thoughts

While ‘Mountainhead’ certainly shows off the sharp, satirical and expletive-peppered writing for which Armstrong has become known, the doomy, oppressive feel of the movie makes this sometimes more punishment than entertaining.

We certainly wouldn’t recommend hitting social media afterwards –– maybe go for a walk? Or find something nice to look at instead?

What’s the story of ‘Mountainhead’?

A group of billionaire friends get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis.

Who is in the cast of ‘Mountainhead?

 

(L to R) Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef in ‘Mountainhead.’ Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.

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