Review of Dogtooth (2009) by Chris H — 12 Feb 2011

A patriarchal father shelters his family from the cruelties of the world. But as his son develops, the father hires a security guard from his workplace as a whore for his son. The influx of sexuality throws the rest of the family into a desire for individuality and sexual exploration.

For much of the film, I didn't know what it was aiming for. Were we supposed to laugh or grimace at the son killing the cat or the odd competitions for parental affection? I know I grimaced when the sexual relationships became incestuous.

Also, the acting was incredibly stilted, and the dialogue was blander than bread left to soak in the sun for a week. I understand that this may have been intentional, creating lives that have simply stopped developing, but the prostitute/security guard character was an excellent opportunity to add some variation, some dimension, some life.

I did like what I found to be a subtle critique of capitalism. The children are forced to compete for affection and prizes, and clearly this is no way to run a happily functioning family. So the critique boils down to we trust capitalism for our external, macrocosmic existence but not our familial livelihoods. It's clever, but the point isn't made before our patience runs out.