Haunting and strangely beautiful, this is a film that seems entirely lost on its critics. Roger Ebert seems to get the point only in the last sentence of his review, and then only as a ponderance. This is a film full of metaphorical imagery set with in an entirely allegorical tale.
George Mackay gives a superb performance as Jacob, who seemingly identifies as a wolf, and is confined to a mental institution, where he is subjected to horrific "treatment" in an attempt to cure his "species identify disorder". The photography is beautiful and captures Mackay's lupine movement perfectly. If the point of the film is not clear by the end, there is a superb shot, lasting only a couple of seconds, in which a rainbow refracts across a tortured Jacob's chest.
Most of the reviews seem to take this film at face value only, and ponder the ridiculousness of a group of young people who think they are wild animals. There is much more to this film, which, to me, seemed fairly obvious. Any more deliberate and the point was at risk of becoming laboured. Other reviews are similarly unkind, but mostly as they do understand the message of the film, and, at a time when gender identity and sexuality have never been more scrutinised and vilified, view the film with a cynicism that is all too prevalent in some circles.
I'd highly recommend this film to anyone with an open mind, not least for George Mackay's performance. He is fast becoming one of my favourite actors and this a remarkable addition to his career. Nathalie Biancheri"s direction is methodical, deliberate and artistic and tells the story respectfully and carefully, without ever descending into parody. 9.5/10.
George Mackay gives a superb performance as Jacob, who seemingly identifies as a wolf, and is confined to a mental institution, where he is subjected to horrific "treatment" in an attempt to cure his "species identify disorder". The photography is beautiful and captures Mackay's lupine movement perfectly. If the point of the film is not clear by the end, there is a superb shot, lasting only a couple of seconds, in which a rainbow refracts across a tortured Jacob's chest.
Most of the reviews seem to take this film at face value only, and ponder the ridiculousness of a group of young people who think they are wild animals. There is much more to this film, which, to me, seemed fairly obvious. Any more deliberate and the point was at risk of becoming laboured. Other reviews are similarly unkind, but mostly as they do understand the message of the film, and, at a time when gender identity and sexuality have never been more scrutinised and vilified, view the film with a cynicism that is all too prevalent in some circles.
I'd highly recommend this film to anyone with an open mind, not least for George Mackay's performance. He is fast becoming one of my favourite actors and this a remarkable addition to his career. Nathalie Biancheri"s direction is methodical, deliberate and artistic and tells the story respectfully and carefully, without ever descending into parody. 9.5/10.