Review of Dogtooth (2009) by David S — 18 Jun 2012

So, imagine a world in which Wes Anderson didn't make "The Royal Tenenbaums" and Tom Six decided not to make "The Human Centipede" and instead both directors decided to collaborate on a film. It might be a bit of a stretch, but you'd ultimately end up with something like "Dogtooth" in terms of tone and style. Sad, disturbing, and sometimes comical in the most absurdly dark ways imaginable, the film gives you too much odd and not enough context. And forget about resolution. Everything is implied just for the apparent sake of being indie or artsy and most of the stuff the film tries to pull off simply isn't that groundbreaking.

It's a perfectly watchable movie (if "uncomfortable" is your kind of thing) with a competent (at times) script and fine performances, but THIS is what garners a "Best Foreign Film" nod at the Oscars these days? REALLY, Academy? REALLY?? You're serious? THIS movie? This was one of the five best movies made anywhere outside of the U.S. in 2010? REALLY? I find that hard to believe.