Alps (15.)
Directed by Giorgos Lanthimos.
Starring Aggeliki Papoulia, Aris Servetalis, Johnny Vekris, Ariane Labed and Stavros Psyllakis. Greek with subtitles. 93 mins
Just as in his previous film Dogtooth, Lanthimos has come up with an idea that seems to offer up multiple, easily identifiable, allegorical interpretations, without ever quite allowing you to put your finger on what it is about.
Alps are a small group who start up a business where the members act as replacements for the recently deceased, in order to help the surviving friends and family with the grieving process. Their officious and domineering leader, (Servetalis) chooses the name because it explains nothing about what they do and because, while no mountain can adequately take the place of an Alp, if you replace any mountain with one from the Alps, nobody will be disappointed. (At this point you'll want to interject about the Himalayas but this flaw in the rationale is surely intentional.)
The reality though is that these replacement sessions end up as a stilted, wooden rehash of the life that preceded – a dress rehearsal in reverse or the emotional equivalent of the warm down that athletes do after exercise.
The set up suggests an absurdist comedy, but Lanthimos's frigid, distancing style stifles levity. Far from being mountains of strength, these Alps are desperate, needy figures, especially the character played by Aggeliki Papoulia (who was the older daughter in Dogtooth.)
What does it all mean? It seems to be saying, not too clearly, something about our society's dependence on escapism, but given its Grexit nation of origin, I think at least partly it is an expression of the futility of subjugating your identity in order to try and appease the irrational desires of outsiders.
Directed by Giorgos Lanthimos.
Starring Aggeliki Papoulia, Aris Servetalis, Johnny Vekris, Ariane Labed and Stavros Psyllakis. Greek with subtitles. 93 mins
Just as in his previous film Dogtooth, Lanthimos has come up with an idea that seems to offer up multiple, easily identifiable, allegorical interpretations, without ever quite allowing you to put your finger on what it is about.
Alps are a small group who start up a business where the members act as replacements for the recently deceased, in order to help the surviving friends and family with the grieving process. Their officious and domineering leader, (Servetalis) chooses the name because it explains nothing about what they do and because, while no mountain can adequately take the place of an Alp, if you replace any mountain with one from the Alps, nobody will be disappointed. (At this point you'll want to interject about the Himalayas but this flaw in the rationale is surely intentional.)
The reality though is that these replacement sessions end up as a stilted, wooden rehash of the life that preceded – a dress rehearsal in reverse or the emotional equivalent of the warm down that athletes do after exercise.
The set up suggests an absurdist comedy, but Lanthimos's frigid, distancing style stifles levity. Far from being mountains of strength, these Alps are desperate, needy figures, especially the character played by Aggeliki Papoulia (who was the older daughter in Dogtooth.)
What does it all mean? It seems to be saying, not too clearly, something about our society's dependence on escapism, but given its Grexit nation of origin, I think at least partly it is an expression of the futility of subjugating your identity in order to try and appease the irrational desires of outsiders.
