Review of Dogtooth (2009) by Curtis J — 06 Feb 2011

How this film got nominated for an Oscar is a great mystery to me. This is a bizarre, deadpan, creepy turd of a film. I really don't understand what the point of this was. A Father, for no apparent reason other than he can, has isolated his children inside a rather mundane home inside a tall fence.

They've grown to young adulthood with no other influences other than his purposeful lies. Little Kittens are man eating threats to safety. Airplanes are tiny toys just out of reach. Leaving the compound must be done in a car, and only the Father ever leaves.

An outsider is brought in to satisfy the completely dispassionate sexual urges of the son. The kids compete against each other in silly games of endurance. None of it adds up to much in my mind. It's obscure absurd allegory and the entire audience of the screening I saw it with was reduced to befuddled laughter, not because it was funny, but because we were all so mystified as to why this thing was getting accolades.

I swear reviewers just think they're supposed to get this thing so they're giving it positive reviews.