Review of Dogtooth (2009) by Spencer S — 28 Apr 2012
Unsettling in an amazing amount of respects, Dogtooth is a metaphor gone to the depths of possibility, coming out the other side as a dramatic piece about the overbearing nature of parents. Two parents lock their adult children into their home and create a distinct dreamland, misdirecting their attention from real world issues, and lying to them constantly, including hiding the telephone, lying about the dangers of cats, telling them fake definitions for common words, and perpetuating a violent household by not letting their natural curiosities become sated and their questions left hanging without answer.
When an outsider comes into the household everything changes for the family, as everyone starts questioning the ethics of their parents, and the decisions they have lived with their entire lives. The dynamic isn't all too interesting, and since most of this takes place in one vicinity and with several lifeless characters, it repeats itself again and again with its contant message.
The characters aren't all too fleshed out, and most of this lingers on the main idea instead of exploring the reasons for the parents' decisions. The violence, sexual misadventures and taboos, I believe, are there for the sake of the film and not just to simply shock once you're comfortable with the misanthropic nature of the characters.
It's obvious from the beginning that the nuclear family will not end their time well, and the film will be about exploring their realizations and bitter resignation as the outside world slowly creeps in.
The ending is possibly hopeful, as the fence will soon be broached and all the lies their parents told repetitively will be proved to be just that. Most of the lies themselves are explained and their motives are evident, but the reasoning behind why they were told in the first place remains foggy.
If the characters weren't so one dimensional and empty this would have been a more empathetic film overall, but I find it unrealistic and pandering throughout as a result.
This review of Dogtooth (2009) was written by Spencer S on 28 Apr 2012.
Dogtooth has generally received positive reviews.
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