This insane drama about a society in which single people are banished to a hotel where they are given a short time to couple up or be transformed into animals left us puzzled. Colin Farrell (last blogged in Saving Mr. Banks) does bring in a masterful performance as the befuddled David. He told an interviewer that he gained 40 pounds for the role so he would always be in costume. The reliable Ashley Jensen (profiled in Hysteria) and John C. Reilly (most recently narrated Bears) provide sad-clown comic relief to an essentially glum tale. Ben Whishaw (last in The Danish Girl) is another despondent pal for David, and Olivia Colman (most recently in Hyde Park on Hudson) has great comic timing as the hotel manager. In the second act we have Rachel Weisz (last in Youth) and Lea Seydoux (most recently in Spectre) as two women whose roles become clear after a while.
Director/co-writer Yorgos Lanthimos and co-writer Efthymis Filippou (both new to me) have won quite a few awards for this project, about which Jack said, "Can you imagine the table read?!" The cinematography is gorgeous, however, shot by Thimios Bakatakis mostly in and around the Parknasilla Hotel in County Kerry, Ireland, with only natural light and no makeup in most scenes. No composer is credited. Instead, there's a long list of songs, mostly classical.
Critics have been raving about this (90% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still playing in these parts, almost four weeks after we saw it. We're on the low side of its audiences who are averaging 69. Maybe you won't agree with us, but we found it weird and disturbing.
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