Director of Dogtooth, The Lobster, Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Favourite, Poor Things, and most recently, Kinds of Kindness. Thought I'd start a poll as he's made several films and I saw Kinds of Kindness last weekend. I'm a fan of his work, though some films are better than others. What does the PRF think?

zircona1 wrote: Mon Jul 15, 2024 2:42 pm Director of Dogtooth, The Lobster, Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Favourite, Poor Things, and most recently, Kinds of Kindness. Thought I'd start a poll as he's made several films and I saw Kinds of Kindness last weekend. I'm a fan of his work, though some films are better than others. What does the PRF think?

Not crap. Haven't really liked his English films. Not enough people have seen his Greek works, especially Dogtooth.

Does nothing for me. Rote mean streak surrealism trying for a Pasolini social allegory kind of thing, but rings hollow. Mainstream acceptance hasn't helped..

I dig his stuff. The critiques of his work being emotionally thin are fair. I get enough spark from the uncanny energy and his craft that it's not spoiled by those shortcomings.

Haven't seen Kinds of Kindness yet, but I'm sure I will.

I don't really care about the allegories. They're there, but unfinished enough that they just serve as vehicles for very dark and twisted humour, which I love.
Hollywood has sanitised that a bit.

Shrug.

zorg wrote: Mon Jul 15, 2024 3:45 pm Does nothing for me. Rote mean streak surrealism trying for a Pasolini social allegory kind of thing, but rings hollow. Mainstream acceptance hasn't helped..

This.

zircona1 wrote: Mon Jul 15, 2024 2:42 pm The Lobster, Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Favourite, Poor Things

I enjoyed these four films a lot. The Lobster especially. Dogtooth and Alps were so so.

Like his films better than Tarantino, Nolan, Anderson, Villeneuve, Fincher.

NC

Have yet to see The Favourite or Kinds of Kindness, and need a rewatch on The Lobster, but the rest - my stars - wonderful, singular, hilarious, and troubling. I find the dance sequence in Dogtooth more freaky than funny. It's right up there with the dance sequence in Calvaire in terms of being disquieting. I previously mentioned my reaction upon going in 100% blind on Poor Things. A lovely filmgoing experience. I rarely ever LOL in a theater but everyone involved in that work had me howling. My perspective on feminism also grew but that's more due to engagement with a woman who is a friend and her distaste of much of the movie. It's amazing what you think you know but really don't.

Not Crap, although I feel the same way about The Lobster as I do about The Royal Tenenbaums - sensational new director attracts attention and everybody wants to jump on board with their next project. It would have been better served with fewer well-known actors involved. Tenenbaums is a steaming pile of shit for that reason, but Lobster was at least somewhat interesting despite falling emotionally flat for me.