Chris Johnson

Light, shadow, and reflections. Ryfn's most conventional work when it was made, Drive is nonetheless a work of aesthetic brilliance. The plot isn't special and the theme is a retread of masculine tropes. Perhaps it's all the more impressive the transcendence of the movie through dripping color, frame and shot, score, and mood. The cool acting serves the detached images, of detached crime and a detached search.

Antichrist is harrowing, but what's on camera is always sincere. It's truths are in the sense of it all, a dream state which realizes it's world without fear. It's masochistic, raw, and brutal - and honest. (There's clearly a gender critique to be had as well, but authentic acting trumps any cliche). It's philosophy is in the experience, not the dialogue - a sort of reversal of Bergman's Persona. But this one's much more terrifying.

Equally penetrating the inky blacks as the bright street lights, shot through everything is longing. Each hungry scene is filled with starving people, a fertile ground for transcendence.

Like a dream, more about the strangeness, the tactile feel of the innocence and sunlight and beauty, than any discrete meaning - though its not hard to summon something up fairly banal. But really, things only have the meanings we give them, isn't that obvious? Dogtooth thrives on close ups, quiet moments, and a lovely combination of surrealism, eroticism, and comedy - and horror. The pure power of the father is horrific indeed (and we know that), but the rest is authentic discovery and wonder.

Focused and driven acting towards an arcane realism in a long but tight crescendo. Extremely well executed supernatural experience. This is how small budget movies really shine - by going close in and deep. That said, it doesn't holds true to it's conceit through to the end, and the final little turn is a disappointment.

Phenomenal film. Tight script, the score knits the raw (and we'll acted) shots together beautifully. The camera never overlooks the particular moments of frailty, nakedness, and longing. Allows the spectator what it wants, with just enough languid time, and then turns to give what they didn't realize was needed. A revelation.