Tuesday 30 August 2011

Kynodontas - Dogtooth

2009 by Giorgos Lanthimos - Greek movie

When somebody told me that Greek movies are on a much superior level to general cinema, I was not sure. Couple of movies later, I am quite surprised. At least in my country, when people discuss movies, seriously, nobody seems to talk about Greek movies. I have only seen a few now, but from what I have, its incredible. They are not the entertainment kind. (Am very curious as to how these movies fare in their box office though) But they are quite different and definitely will make the viewer think and wonder about what is happening on the screen.

Three children are bought up by the parents in a confined territory of their home. 

It is as simple as that, but this is a kind of shocking movie. When I read the synopsis, I too made the same mistake, thought it must be children. Only when the movie begin do we realise these children are actually past their teens. We do not know their exact age, but they are definitely around the twenties. And to think that, they have not seen the outside world is unbelievable, strange and scary.

The parents are able to give them different meanings to words, can trick them to fight for a toy plane, as if its the original plane which has fallen down from the skies. Everything about this movie  plot, is strange and unbelievable. But the script and the director has done a brilliant job that it make us curious about these people and will make us live with them. It is like we are watching some alien family performing their drama in a home with high walls. Nothing happening inside will never occur in an ordinary family, but still we are deeply engaged in this family. It is shocking, it is disturbing and thought provoking and even explicit.

I am not saying this movie deeply moved me or anything like that, but I will always say that this is kind of thought, film makers need to have so that cinema as an art form will prosper and inspire more people. I cannot cover my excitement when I say, the man behind this movie owns a truly brilliant and extra ordinary mind of thought.

I do not love it, I do not hate it, but it is definitely, may be, the most different cinematic experience. I hope I can say that.