Review of Dogtooth (2009) by Forrest K — 26 Feb 2011

"Let's play a game called endurance..." if the first line of this now Oscar nominated Greek film. And it's true. That's all it is. A series of absurd meanderings of some adult-ish kids whose idiosychricies are defined by their parents.

Three kids isolated on their parents gated country estate. The parents teach them the complete opposite of truth for pretty much everything. Some are clearly about control - instilling in them the dangers that await them if they leave. But others have no reasoning behind them at all. Defining words like "carbine" as a white bird. Playing records of Sinatra, telling them he's their grandfather and translating the lyrics into fake patriarchal love.

But there's no plot. No story. Its not dramatic or funny. Acting is stale and European. Nothing spectacular about the direction. The manipulation is not even about morality. Just gratuitous manipulation for the sake of it, in the name of some bullshit "pushing-the-boundaries". Like "Happiness". Like mom and dad's ramblings, it's fake.