Mother Nature
SCORE: 80/100
****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD****
REVIEW:
Well that's one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen.
Lamb is a peculiar film from first time director Valdimar Jóhannsson, bringing what I initially thought was a horror movie and completely subverting any of my expectations. At both times beautiful and tense, unnerving and joyous, Lamb is one of those films that will linger with you.
First off, this film is gorgeous. The cinematography here is excellent, with the camera moving and staying in place in ways that are both calming and unusual. Combined with the excellent sound design and the absolutely captivating environment around the farm, it creates a theater experience unlike any I've had in a long time. It's silence, due to a intentional lack of music, is again unnerving but also comforting. I'll be saying that a lot because this film is exceptional in working with dualities.
The plot is wildly absurd, but the film realizes this. It's absolutely crazy for there to exist a half-lamb, half-human child but what sells its believability is the layered performances of its cast. Noomi Rapace is Oscar-Worthy here I feel, bring nuance and depth to her character of Maria. Hilmir Snær Guðnason brings a fatherly warmth and lightness to the role. And the only other human cast member, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, brings a level of tension as well as comfort throughout his time in the film. All three actors also bring something to the film that's hard to ignore; joy. While the film may be tense and unnerving at times, its the joy and happiness the characters are experiencing that makes this film worth a recommendation. It's unlike anything I've seen before. And that reveal at the end? Incredible and heartbreaking.
What's important to note is that this film is a slow burn, patiently setting up its events rather than simply telling or showing them. This pacing may be too slow for some viewers, but I feel refreshed after viewing a Bond film the night before. You need to have these slow burn films in-between all of your thrillers and Marvel films. In taking its time, it builds a tension that's palpable throughout, even in its most tender moments. The way its shots linger and hold makes me want to rewatch the film for any hidden details or things hiding in the background, if there are any.
There are a two things that do make me subtract points though, with the first being visual effects. Every time we see Ada (the child), it felt like there was inconsistent proportions with its body, the head particularly. It's a little distracting, but that doesn't mean the effects aren't good, because they are.
The last thing is something a little more personal. Lamb is clearly a film about parenting and maternal and paternal love. While this isn't necessarily hidden, I personally don't feel truly connected to the characters or their situation, since I do not have a child and do not intend on having one. I guarantee that parents, (SPOILER ALERT, especially ones who've experienced a miscarriage or loss of a child), will walk out of this film feeling more connected or more touched by the film's messaging. I walked out of this film with the idea that sometimes the families we choose can be more powerful than the ones we are a part of biologically, and that the love we experience when in these groups is important. But I am not sure if that's the message the film is attempting to convey.
Lamb is a slow-burning pseudo-folklore story about parenting that will linger with you far after you watch it. It's an easy recommend for film-lovers and A24 nuts like me, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to all movie watchers. It's slow burn and deliberate pacing isn't for everyone, but I feel that most people who will watch it will come out with different feelings. Which is exactly what film is meant to do.
Conclusion: Unnerving yet undeniably happy, Lamb is a beautifully absurd film about parenting that is as comforting as it is weird.
Score: 80/100
Comments
Post a Comment