Review of Dogtooth (2009) by Dave G — 08 Feb 2011
Dogtooth is a rare achievement - an artistic endeavor that is also truly compelling and interesting. This is definitely not a typical Academy Award nominated foreign language film. Three grown teens to early twenties "children" still live with their parents in a sort of isolation, never leaving the grounds to the house.
The parents have decided to shelter them from the outside world. So determined are the parents to keep the outside world away that they have alternate names for things (phone is salt shaker for instance), the planes flying overhead are small toys that will occasionally fall in their yard and the most fearful of all animals is the common housecat! But there is so much more to this film - the psychology and evolution of characters to get to this point is mesmerizing.
And certainly at the age of the children they are very much interested in sex. Director Lanthimos navigates through the material with long takes and little music. This is a meticulously observed unique film that is truly exceptional start to finish.
A must see. It is noted that there is plenty of nudity, sex, and disturbing content here, but all of this is integral to the story.
This review of Dogtooth (2009) was written by Dave G on 08 Feb 2011.
Dogtooth has generally received positive reviews.
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