Alps (2011, Giorgos Lanthimos)
The story in Alps revolves around a few characters who take on the persona of a deceased person in order to console grieving family members. For example, this unorthodox healing process could mean playing the role of a relative’s deceased daughter. This tactic produces some humor to begin with but once a viewer is comfortable with the material, then one can look beyond the humor and observe the human behavior on display. In this regard, the film shows that all humans share a certain bond when it comes to loss and eventually healing.
Alps features far more deadpan humor and less of the strangeness that might have put some people off Lanthimos’ Dogtooth. That is not to say that Alps is without its quirky dark humor but the material is presented in a much more accessible manner than Dogtooth. The material appears light on surface but once the film is over, the darker and heavier themes slowly sink in.
1 comment:
"Alps features far more deadpan humor and less of the strangeness that might have put some people off Lanthimos’ Dogtooth."
Sachin, I still haven't put my finger on what turned me off to DOGTOOTH, though it's clear enough what you say here is irrefutable at least how it applies to me. But I am happy to hear ALPS is more accessible, and look forward to seeing it in the near future. Very nice capsule here!
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