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Showing posts with label Ruben Östlund. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ruben Östlund. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 09, 2022

Triangle of Sadness equals award happiness

 Triangle of Sadness (2022, Ruben Östlund)

 
In contemporary European soccer, some league titles are decided even before a ball is kicked. The Cannes Film festival appears to be headed that way as well, especially when it comes to awarding the Palme d’Or to Ruben Östlund. Now, it is true that over the years some directors would always get their films programmed in Cannes Competition regardless of merit. Think Ken Loach, Nanni Moretti or Paolo Sorrentino. And some would never get in Competition. Until this year, Claire Denis used to fall in this category. Getting a film in Competition is one thing but winning the top Cannes prize is another matter altogether as a Jury decides who gets the Palme d’Or. That is why it is baffling Ruben Östlund has now won back-to-back Palme d’Or for The Square and Triangle of Sadness, two films that are weaker than his two earlier films Force Majeure and Play.

Force Majeure perfectly balanced its comedic scenarios with astute human observances. It was a dry wit film, which I placed in my Top 20 Scandinavian films list, that allowed the time and space for all its ideas to fully come through. On the other hand, The Square felt an attempt to take the witty vignette’s of Roy Andersson’s cinema and pushing the boundaries slightly until the scenario shifted out of comedy into shock. While The Square had some moments that sparkled, overall the film felt incoherent where the individual parts didn’t fit together.

If The Square felt like a step down for Östlund, then his latest feels like hitting the bottom of the barrel. Triangle of Sadness has constructed a feature film by combining many vignettes which follow the same characters from start to finish. However, each scenario comes across completely manufactured to produce a reaction. Packed with clichés, the pseudo political commentary and attempts to poke fun at elites and class structure don’t always land because one can see the entire setup for miles. There is even a scene with an overflowing toilet, likely a nod to Parasite. If Östlund thought including such a scene would be a good omen for a Cannes win, he was proved right. At this rate, I fully expect that Östlund will complete his Cannes hat-trick with his next film which is on a plane (departing away from the ship in Triangle of Sadness) and examines what passengers do without in-flight entertainment.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Euro 2012: Swedish Films

Entry #13 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two Swedish films.

Play (2011, Ruben Östlund)



Play uses a verite style to depict a real life bullying tactic used in Sweden to steal cell phones from kids. This technique didn’t use any physical force but instead utilized a good cop-bad cop method which accused the victims of carrying a stolen cellphone. Ruben Östlund mostly uses long shots to show the crimes taking place thereby giving an appearance that the audience is witness to the events unfolding in front of their eyes. Initially, the film focuses on the crime itself without trying to imply anything about race or economic conditions. This is true even when the bullies are given a rough time from rival gang members. However, race comes into the equation in the final 15-20 minutes when a few family members of the victims use force to retrieve their child’s cellphone back. The family members are adults and watching them fight with a young teenager over a phone raises alarm bells in passersby who accuse the family members of being bullies. This turn into racial territory gives the entire film a different feel and moves the issue away from bullying, something which is not related to race. As a result, the film misses an opportunity to look deeper at social and economic issues and instead is content to scratch the surface of the crime.

Everlasting Moments (2008, Jan Troell)



Maria (Maria Heiskanen) wins a camera in a lottery but never uses it. So she decides to sell it in order to get some money. However, the shopkeeper Sebastian (Jesper Christensen) demonstrates the camera’s potential to Maria. Sebastian tells Maria that he will buy the device from Maria but only after she has used the camera and understands what she is selling. The camera opens up Maria’s world and arouses a new passion in her. Her photography allows her to offset problems in her life and manages to raise her spirits.

Everlasting Moments wonderfully shows that no matter how tough a person’s life is, they will have the ability to get through it as long as they can find that one passion which gives them reason and strength to carry on.