This post will contain spoilers for "Poor Things."
Director Yorgos Lanthimos has made multiple films about characters who are controlled -- to mixed fates -- by their sexual appetites, and how their sexual desire will ultimately push up against their prison-like boundaries.
In his 2009 film "Dogtooth," a weirdly tyrannical father (Christos Stergioglou) has kept his children confined in their childhood home until their young adulthood, lying to them about the nature of the world and teaching them nonsensical vocabulary. The young son is granted regular conjugal visits from a hired interloper (Anna Kalaitzidou). She, against the father's rules, begins explaining sex to the kids, and they begin thinking about the outside world. The father attempts to control his children's sex lives, but ultimately runs aground on his daughter's taste of knowledge.
In his 2015 sci-fi fantasy film "The Lobster," uncoupled people are forced into depressing romance camps where they must artificially...
Director Yorgos Lanthimos has made multiple films about characters who are controlled -- to mixed fates -- by their sexual appetites, and how their sexual desire will ultimately push up against their prison-like boundaries.
In his 2009 film "Dogtooth," a weirdly tyrannical father (Christos Stergioglou) has kept his children confined in their childhood home until their young adulthood, lying to them about the nature of the world and teaching them nonsensical vocabulary. The young son is granted regular conjugal visits from a hired interloper (Anna Kalaitzidou). She, against the father's rules, begins explaining sex to the kids, and they begin thinking about the outside world. The father attempts to control his children's sex lives, but ultimately runs aground on his daughter's taste of knowledge.
In his 2015 sci-fi fantasy film "The Lobster," uncoupled people are forced into depressing romance camps where they must artificially...
- 12/7/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Apples (Mila) Cohen Media Group Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net, linked from Rotten Tomatoes by Harvey Karten Director: Christos Nikou Screenwriter: Christos Nikou, Stavros Raptis Cast: Aris Servetalis, Sofia Georgovasili, Anna Kalaitzidou, Argiris Bakirtzis Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, Opens: June 24, 2022 Imagine that your memories suddenly disappear and you can create a new […]
The post Apples Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Apples Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 6/19/2022
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
"What a tragic story." Cohen Media Group has revealed their official trailer for this indie Greek comedy called Apples, which originally premiered at the 2020 Venice Film Festival a few years back. We posted a promo trailer then and reviewed it out of Venice (it's superb!) but now that it's finally landing in theaters in the US, we're happy to feature it again. After a pandemic causes people to develop sudden amnesia, a man is enrolled in a recovery program designed to create new memories. The film evokes profound questions: "Are we the sum of the images we compile and display of ourselves, or are we something richer, and deeper?" Apples stars Aris Servetalis, Sofia Georgovassili, Anna Kalaitzidou, Argyris Bakirtzis, & Kostas Laskos. It's a very bleak film but so creative and captivating, highly recommend catching it when it opens. Here's the new official US trailer (+ poster) for Christos Nikou's Apples,...
- 5/19/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
A thing learnt, when it comes to reviewing films, is “never give up.” As casual sofa surfer, yours is the luxury of tuning in, falling out with the on-screen goings on and…heading for the exit five minutes later. Not so when reviewing: one has an obligation to watch; to see if it gets better; and sometimes it does.
All of which is a very long-winded way of saying that In The Strange Pursuit Of Laura Durand is not as bad as it seems. It does get better. Though - spoiler alert! - not that much.
It is a film variously billed as road movie, comedy and, for my part, quest. It tells the tale of two not especially likeable nerds, Antonis Titsanis (Makis Papadimitriou) and Christos Fertakis (Michalis Sarantis), who are obsessed by a Nineties porn star, known to the world as Laura Dennard (Anna Kalaitzidou).
Is that her name?...
All of which is a very long-winded way of saying that In The Strange Pursuit Of Laura Durand is not as bad as it seems. It does get better. Though - spoiler alert! - not that much.
It is a film variously billed as road movie, comedy and, for my part, quest. It tells the tale of two not especially likeable nerds, Antonis Titsanis (Makis Papadimitriou) and Christos Fertakis (Michalis Sarantis), who are obsessed by a Nineties porn star, known to the world as Laura Dennard (Anna Kalaitzidou).
Is that her name?...
- 1/29/2022
- by Jane Fae
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Director and writer Dimitris Bavellas received widespread praise and several awards for his debut feature Runaway Day, back in 2013. However, it would seem the Greek filmmaker hasn’t lived up to that promise with In the Strange Pursuit of Laura Durand.
Borrowing heavily from The Big Lebowski – a masterpiece you could watch ten times over and not get bored – it’s pretty much a lost cause.
Two struggling musicians, Antonis (Makis Papadimitriou) and Christos (Mihalis Sarantis) reminisce about the titular Laura (Anna Kalaitzidou), a porn star from the 90s now in obscurity. When she’s then reported as missing, the hapless pair vow to find her and are catapulted into a Cohen-esque world, containing a spectrum of very different characters.
It’s difficult to buy into their mission, especially as they never really earn the tag of ‘lovable losers’ at any point: comedy or not, the audience needs to be on their side.
Borrowing heavily from The Big Lebowski – a masterpiece you could watch ten times over and not get bored – it’s pretty much a lost cause.
Two struggling musicians, Antonis (Makis Papadimitriou) and Christos (Mihalis Sarantis) reminisce about the titular Laura (Anna Kalaitzidou), a porn star from the 90s now in obscurity. When she’s then reported as missing, the hapless pair vow to find her and are catapulted into a Cohen-esque world, containing a spectrum of very different characters.
It’s difficult to buy into their mission, especially as they never really earn the tag of ‘lovable losers’ at any point: comedy or not, the audience needs to be on their side.
- 1/24/2022
- by Dan Green
- The Cultural Post
"Laura does not exist. Is that understood?" Strike Media has released a US trailer for a Greek indie comedy titled In the Strange Pursuit of Laura Durand. It first premiered in 2019 at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and played at a bunch of other fests including Athens, Sarajevo, Red Rock, Sunscreen, and Thessaloniki. It now opens in the US starting in January 2022. Two men who live in Athens decide to start the quest for Laura Durand, a pornstar of the 90's who has disappeared mysteriously several years ago. "An award winning and hilarious road movie, loaded with an amazing and eclectic soundtrack, In the Strange Pursuit of Laura Durand is a feelgood, touching, original story, that stays with you long after watching." The cast includes Makis Papadimitriou, Michalis Sarantis, Anna Kalaitzidou, Danis Katranidis, Ivonni Maltezou, Alexandros Logothetis, and Nikos Hatzopoulos. There's a hilariously bad English voiceover in this trailer,...
- 12/3/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"You can make a new beginning." An early festival promo trailer has debuted for a funky Greek film titled Apples, made by a protégé of Yorgos Lanthimos. This is premiering at the Venice Film Festival next month, which is why they're releasing this trailer to build buzz. After a pandemic causes people to develop sudden amnesia, a man is enrolled in a recovery program designed to create new memories. Much like how The Lobster explores modern relationships, Apples explores memory. Asking questions like: Do we remember what we have experienced or what we have chosen to remember? Can we forget the things that hurt us? In the end, are we simply just the sum of all those things we don't forget? The film stars Aris Servetalis, Sofia Georgovassili, Anna Kalaitzidou, Argyris Bakirtzis, and Kostas Laskos. It has that very odd, offbeat vibe like in Lanthimos' early films Dogtooth and Alps.
- 8/27/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Chicago – When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their 2011 nominees, one of the more surprising choices was the Greek entry for Best Foreign Language Film, the subversive black comedy “Dogtooth.” It’s not the choice was undeserving, but it’s certainly one of the weirdest, darkest, and most disturbing films ever nominated by a group that usually goes heartwarming in this category. There’s nothing heartwarming about “Dogtooth” outside of those who take comfort in hearing from a fascinating new international voice in cinema.
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0
Fans of Michael Haneke (“Cache”) and Gaspar Noe (“Enter the Void”) should definitely sign up for this twisted trip as it plays off themes that have long been of interest to both filmmakers in its dissection of suburban psychodrama. What would happen if a family completely walled off their children from all possible interaction? How would they develop? And what if...
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0
Fans of Michael Haneke (“Cache”) and Gaspar Noe (“Enter the Void”) should definitely sign up for this twisted trip as it plays off themes that have long been of interest to both filmmakers in its dissection of suburban psychodrama. What would happen if a family completely walled off their children from all possible interaction? How would they develop? And what if...
- 3/29/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Here’s an interesting psycho-drama. Husband and wife who keep their children imprisoned within their house and pretend that this is normal – mark that as a big ‘D’ for drama, or simply – Dogtooth!
Dogtooth (2009) is the second feature film of Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, and one of the movies that will probably compete for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar!
The movie is on the nine movie shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film, but only five Oscar nominated will be announced on Tuesday, January 25, 2011.
To Lanthimos, that was just one of the film’s challenges:
“The film is on a very fine line between humor and tragedy. The story’s about a very serious issue, but we deal with it also with humor, and there are many funny scenes. To me, it was important that the violence make the point. It was like punctuation for me, contradicting the ridiculousness and...
Dogtooth (2009) is the second feature film of Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, and one of the movies that will probably compete for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar!
The movie is on the nine movie shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film, but only five Oscar nominated will be announced on Tuesday, January 25, 2011.
To Lanthimos, that was just one of the film’s challenges:
“The film is on a very fine line between humor and tragedy. The story’s about a very serious issue, but we deal with it also with humor, and there are many funny scenes. To me, it was important that the violence make the point. It was like punctuation for me, contradicting the ridiculousness and...
- 1/23/2011
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
Our film critic makes the nominations for his own personal Oscars in a widely underrated year for film
December is the season of list-making and Top 10 compiling, but when I mention this to other critics, it's been getting winces and shrugs and mutterings that 2010 hasn't been a vintage year. I'm not so sure about that. It's true that the huge arthouse hits like The White Ribbon and A Prophet are now a very distant memory — A Prophet in fact was released at the very beginning of this year, but has been so extensively discussed, that I don't mention it below. Some huge crowd-pleasers, like Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, Tom Hooper's The King's Speech and Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, haven't yet had a full release and neither has Kelly Reichardt's western, Meek's Cutoff. These things may combine to produce the impression that 2010 is in itself a thin year.
December is the season of list-making and Top 10 compiling, but when I mention this to other critics, it's been getting winces and shrugs and mutterings that 2010 hasn't been a vintage year. I'm not so sure about that. It's true that the huge arthouse hits like The White Ribbon and A Prophet are now a very distant memory — A Prophet in fact was released at the very beginning of this year, but has been so extensively discussed, that I don't mention it below. Some huge crowd-pleasers, like Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, Tom Hooper's The King's Speech and Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, haven't yet had a full release and neither has Kelly Reichardt's western, Meek's Cutoff. These things may combine to produce the impression that 2010 is in itself a thin year.
- 12/1/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Aggeliki Papoulia in Dogtooth
Photo: Kino International Greek director Giorgos Lanthimos won the Un Certain Regard at the 2009 Cannes Fim Festival with his film Dogtooth, a feature that considers the evolution of family upbringing should the parents decide to close their children off from the world at large... entirely. This is a psychologically disturbing film that takes a near-documentary approach to examining the ill-conceived parental upbringing of three children and the damage it causes.
The film centers on three nameless teenagers (seriously, their parents have not named them) whom we first meet as they hit play on a tape recorder and listen as their mother's voice gives them their vocabulary words for the day. One such word is "sea," which we learn is a leather armchair. Later on we'll learn "phone" means salt shaker, "zombie" means yellow flower and "pussy" means big light. Sheltered from the outside world, these three...
Photo: Kino International Greek director Giorgos Lanthimos won the Un Certain Regard at the 2009 Cannes Fim Festival with his film Dogtooth, a feature that considers the evolution of family upbringing should the parents decide to close their children off from the world at large... entirely. This is a psychologically disturbing film that takes a near-documentary approach to examining the ill-conceived parental upbringing of three children and the damage it causes.
The film centers on three nameless teenagers (seriously, their parents have not named them) whom we first meet as they hit play on a tape recorder and listen as their mother's voice gives them their vocabulary words for the day. One such word is "sea," which we learn is a leather armchair. Later on we'll learn "phone" means salt shaker, "zombie" means yellow flower and "pussy" means big light. Sheltered from the outside world, these three...
- 6/25/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The kids aren't all right. No wonder.
"Dogtooth"
Photo: Boo Productions
"Dogtooth" is an art movie from Greece that's so open-ended, you wonder whatever it is it's supposed to mean has dribbled out the back door. For the first 20 minutes or so, anyway. Then a story begins to gather shape, and the picture, already strange, becomes very creepy.
Three nameless siblings, two girls and a boy, apparently in their late teens, live in a remotely located house with their father (Christos Stergioglou) and mother (Michele Valley). In the sizable grounds outside, there are palm trees and a swimming pool and a high wooden fence that rings the entire property. The kids, we eventually realize, have never been allowed to venture beyond this barrier.
Inside, there's a television set, but it's used only to show boring family videotapes shot by their father. There's one telephone, but it's hidden at the back...
"Dogtooth"
Photo: Boo Productions
"Dogtooth" is an art movie from Greece that's so open-ended, you wonder whatever it is it's supposed to mean has dribbled out the back door. For the first 20 minutes or so, anyway. Then a story begins to gather shape, and the picture, already strange, becomes very creepy.
Three nameless siblings, two girls and a boy, apparently in their late teens, live in a remotely located house with their father (Christos Stergioglou) and mother (Michele Valley). In the sizable grounds outside, there are palm trees and a swimming pool and a high wooden fence that rings the entire property. The kids, we eventually realize, have never been allowed to venture beyond this barrier.
Inside, there's a television set, but it's used only to show boring family videotapes shot by their father. There's one telephone, but it's hidden at the back...
- 6/25/2010
- MTV Movie News
The kids aren't all right. No wonder.
"Dogtooth"
Photo: Boo Productions
"Dogtooth" is an art movie from Greece that's so open-ended, you wonder whatever it is it's supposed to mean has dribbled out the back door. For the first 20 minutes or so, anyway. Then a story begins to gather shape, and the picture, already strange, becomes very creepy.
Three nameless siblings, two girls and a boy, apparently in their late teens, live in a remotely located house with their father (Christos Stergioglou) and mother (Michele Valley). In the sizable grounds outside, there are palm trees and a swimming pool and a high wooden fence that rings the entire property. The kids, we eventually realize, have never been allowed to venture beyond this barrier.
Inside, there's a television set, but it's used only to show boring family videotapes shot by their father. There's one telephone, but it's hidden at the back...
"Dogtooth"
Photo: Boo Productions
"Dogtooth" is an art movie from Greece that's so open-ended, you wonder whatever it is it's supposed to mean has dribbled out the back door. For the first 20 minutes or so, anyway. Then a story begins to gather shape, and the picture, already strange, becomes very creepy.
Three nameless siblings, two girls and a boy, apparently in their late teens, live in a remotely located house with their father (Christos Stergioglou) and mother (Michele Valley). In the sizable grounds outside, there are palm trees and a swimming pool and a high wooden fence that rings the entire property. The kids, we eventually realize, have never been allowed to venture beyond this barrier.
Inside, there's a television set, but it's used only to show boring family videotapes shot by their father. There's one telephone, but it's hidden at the back...
- 6/25/2010
- MTV Music News
Bright and attractive, ceaselessly curious about their world and about the words, emotions and sensations connecting them to it, the three unnamed siblings in Greek director and co-writer Yorgos Lanthimos' remarkable new film "Dogtooth" would be the picture of healthy development -- were they on the threshold of puberty.
But the oldest daughter (Aggeliki Papoulia), the son (Christos Passalis) and the younger daughter (Mary Tsoni) are all full-grown adult subjects of an unexplained sinister psychological experiment cum lifelong guerrilla theater piece orchestrated by their father (Christos Stergioglou) and mother (Michele Valley).
From oldest to youngest, the offspring believe they're confined behind the hedged wall of their home for their own protection from an outside world whose farcical and totally fictional rules they have been spoon-fed from infancy by their parents.
Intentionally or not, Dad and Mom have succeeded in creating an environment in which the infantile ideas, associations and assumptions...
But the oldest daughter (Aggeliki Papoulia), the son (Christos Passalis) and the younger daughter (Mary Tsoni) are all full-grown adult subjects of an unexplained sinister psychological experiment cum lifelong guerrilla theater piece orchestrated by their father (Christos Stergioglou) and mother (Michele Valley).
From oldest to youngest, the offspring believe they're confined behind the hedged wall of their home for their own protection from an outside world whose farcical and totally fictional rules they have been spoon-fed from infancy by their parents.
Intentionally or not, Dad and Mom have succeeded in creating an environment in which the infantile ideas, associations and assumptions...
- 6/24/2010
- by Bruce Bennett
- ifc.com
Just yesterday we told you about Yorgos Lanthimos' new Greek horror flick Dogtooth, and today we have the official one-sheet for your mass consumption.
The flick will be enjoying its New York premiere at various venues on June 25th. It stars Christos Stergioglou, Michelle Valley, Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni, Hristos Passalis, and Anna Kalaitzidou.
Synopsis
"A hyper-stylized mixture of physical violence and verbal comedy, Dogtooth is a darkly funny look at three teenagers confined to their parents' isolated country estate and kept under strict rule and regimen — an inscrutable scenario that suggests a warped experiment in social conditioning and control. Terrorized into submission by their father, the children spend their days devising their own games and learning an invented vocabulary (a salt shaker is a "telephone," an armchair is "the sea") — until a trusted outsider, brought in to satisfy the son's libidinal urges, plants the seeds of rebellion by trading VHS tapes for sexual favors.
The flick will be enjoying its New York premiere at various venues on June 25th. It stars Christos Stergioglou, Michelle Valley, Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni, Hristos Passalis, and Anna Kalaitzidou.
Synopsis
"A hyper-stylized mixture of physical violence and verbal comedy, Dogtooth is a darkly funny look at three teenagers confined to their parents' isolated country estate and kept under strict rule and regimen — an inscrutable scenario that suggests a warped experiment in social conditioning and control. Terrorized into submission by their father, the children spend their days devising their own games and learning an invented vocabulary (a salt shaker is a "telephone," an armchair is "the sea") — until a trusted outsider, brought in to satisfy the son's libidinal urges, plants the seeds of rebellion by trading VHS tapes for sexual favors.
- 6/10/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
In the market for a little Greek horror/comedy/tragedy? Then Yorgos Lanthimos' new film Dogtooth may just be exactly what you're looking for!
The flick will be enjoying its New York premiere at various venues on June 25th. It stars Christos Stergioglou, Michelle Valley, Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni, Hristos Passalis, and Anna Kalaitzidou.
Check out the plot crunch and the trailer below.
Synopsis
"A hyper-stylized mixture of physical violence and verbal comedy, Dogtooth is a darkly funny look at three teenagers confined to their parents' isolated country estate and kept under strict rule and regimen — an inscrutable scenario that suggests a warped experiment in social conditioning and control. Terrorized into submission by their father, the children spend their days devising their own games and learning an invented vocabulary (a salt shaker is a "telephone," an armchair is "the sea") — until a trusted outsider, brought in to satisfy the son's libidinal urges,...
The flick will be enjoying its New York premiere at various venues on June 25th. It stars Christos Stergioglou, Michelle Valley, Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni, Hristos Passalis, and Anna Kalaitzidou.
Check out the plot crunch and the trailer below.
Synopsis
"A hyper-stylized mixture of physical violence and verbal comedy, Dogtooth is a darkly funny look at three teenagers confined to their parents' isolated country estate and kept under strict rule and regimen — an inscrutable scenario that suggests a warped experiment in social conditioning and control. Terrorized into submission by their father, the children spend their days devising their own games and learning an invented vocabulary (a salt shaker is a "telephone," an armchair is "the sea") — until a trusted outsider, brought in to satisfy the son's libidinal urges,...
- 6/9/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
The new domestic trailer for Cannes 2009 Un Certain Regard winner Dogtooth is fantastic. Being released by Kino International later this month, the dramatic satire is directed by Giorgos Lanthimos and stars Christos Stergioglou, Michelle Valley, Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni, Hristos Passalis and Anna Kalaitzidou. Check it out below.
Plot: A hyper-stylized mixture of physical violence and verbal comedy, Dogtooth is a darkly funny look at three teenagers confined to their parents’ isolated country estate and kept under strict rule and regimen — an inscrutable scenario that suggests a warped experiment in social conditioning and control. Terrorized into submission by their father, the children spend their days devising their own games and learning an invented vocabulary (a salt shaker is a “telephone,” an armchair is “the sea”) — until a trusted outsider, brought in to satisfy the son’s libidinal urges, plans the seeds of rebellion by trading VHS tapes for sexual favors.
Plot: A hyper-stylized mixture of physical violence and verbal comedy, Dogtooth is a darkly funny look at three teenagers confined to their parents’ isolated country estate and kept under strict rule and regimen — an inscrutable scenario that suggests a warped experiment in social conditioning and control. Terrorized into submission by their father, the children spend their days devising their own games and learning an invented vocabulary (a salt shaker is a “telephone,” an armchair is “the sea”) — until a trusted outsider, brought in to satisfy the son’s libidinal urges, plans the seeds of rebellion by trading VHS tapes for sexual favors.
- 6/8/2010
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
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