Over the last decade, with peculiar emphasis on the period since 2020, there have been many changes in the planet cinema that affect fresh “guidelines” of the Academy of movie awarding Oscars.
The subject will be partially discussed in 1 of the upcoming episodes of the small Culture cycle on our YouTube channel. In a nutshell, the thought is that movie makers should alternatively of shooting good pictures that tell interesting stories, discuss problems or simply be entertainment, focus on gathering increasingly crazy standards of "political correctness".
I do not hide that I liked Hollywood productions, which for many decades provided amusement to viewers, but I lost patience with them. The last fewer years have brought me mainly disappointments in this substance with truly fewer exceptions (which I will surely mention), but this has yet worked out for me, due to the fact that I started reaching for movie proposals from European countries. Of course, they do not supply specified momentum on the screen, but mostly they inactive stick to the tradition of good cinema. any time ago, I proposed to you the German-British screening "Unchanged West", and present we will decision to Scandinavia, more specifically Denmark.
The movie “Guest” had its Polish premiere last year, but rather late it entered the HBO Max platform, where you can legally view it. The image manager is Christian Tafdrup, which had previously become known to a wider audience by a strong movie “Potvor” (Polish tit. “A Terrible Woman”) telling about a very toxic male-female relationship. This time, the Danishman changes the subject, but "screws the screw" erstwhile it comes to the power of transmission. His latest movie I read as an allegorical depiction of the “Overton window”, but alternatively of the macro society, we have 2 families here.
It is 1 of the “these films” that service everything to the viewer at the right time, without hastily throwing further sequences of events and dialogues, which weigh theirs and with this burden they draw deeper and deeper into history. It will be highly hard for me to compose more without the alleged "spoilers", which is to uncover the content of the film, so if you want to see it with full impressions, I propose that you do so first and then return to my text. If possible, I will effort not to betray much more than you can find in the game description on the platform, which encouraged me to check the position.
It's a classical thriller. “Happy household goes on vacation to fresh friends. The joint weekend gradually takes a frightening turn as the hosts begin to uncover their true, terrifying face." This banal summary rather well reflects the meaning of the film. An crucial aspect is that 2 families will meet during a celebration. Marriage, or our heroes, is invited to their fresh friends' home, which in the beginning introduces a certain amount of uncertainty, but it is extinguished by the highly sympathetic and friendly behaviour of this marriage...
It should be mentioned here that this movie is truly a workshop gem in all respect. Everything was played here – from script, cast, through phase plan the work of the camera on music. We have complete coherence and the movie has an highly interesting construction. all scene that creates anxiety and creates a sense of fear in the viewer is topped by a kind of calm – the main characters explain to themselves that everything is fine. Under manipulation from the host side, the hosts intellectualize all problem by ignoring it in the name of a good mood! Hence my association with Overton's window. What is this in social science? Overton's window is another window of discourse – an thought describing how to change public perception of issues that are socially unacceptable. A mechanics that, through successive, increasingly drastic steps, tames the participants of events with a spurious reality. That's what happens in the Danish thriller. I think this is an crucial message for today's European societies, which are held in the belief that it is essential to be nice, sympathetic at all costs – always and everywhere in the name of "preserving good relations and emotions." This is simply a contemporary “coolism” that has been perfectly shown here.
The tension between the characters is gradually built – from the complete idyllic during the gathering and beginning of the visit of our household to fresh "friends", through insignificant understatements/ lies, tiny and larger misconceptions, gross behaviors, to those that approach the perversion to yet lead to tragedy. The atmosphere between the 2 families thickens over time, as should happen in a good thriller. The actors performed excellent work with the script.
First characters are a household of Danes. Loise – mother/wife played by Sidsel Siem Koch; Bjorn father/husband, in this function Morten Burian and Liva Forsberg Her function as their daughter Agnes. On vacation in Italy they will meet a household from the Netherlands: Karin (Karina Smulders), Patrick (Fedja Van Huet..and their boy Abel, in whom the young man is impersonated Marius Damslev.
Casting has been performed here perfectly – all six are characters that interest the viewer. Adults are middle-aged marriages. A pair of Danes are alternatively "silent" people, somewhat bored with life and looking for freshness in a relationship. The Dutch, in turn, appear to us to be definitely more hit, perfect observers (especially Patrick), who are willing to supply amusement to fresh friends by inviting them to their homes. At first, we find out that Patrick is simply a doctor, which later gives birth to a more serious “groan” due to the fact that he turns out to be lying...
I'm not going to dig deep into the storyline so I don't spoil the readers' enjoyment of watching. However, I urge your attention the game of young actors playing children – especially Abel – the boy of Karin and Patrick did a large occupation here. From the very beginning, there is an unhealthy tension in his relation with his parents. In time, the movie brings us into situations where I virtually felt like shouting to Louise and Bjorn – “get out of there, something is wrong!”
A skilled viewer will associate this image (rightly) with another Scandinavian film, or "Funny Games" Michael Haneke of 1997, which later saw the remake of American production. We are dealing with a akin mechanism, which in the late 1990s illustrated a certain climate in the West. The climate that has come to Europe from the US – the widespread shortening of distance, and it is the courtesy of taking care of "good relations", which frequently takes a grotesque form.
After the screening, I asked myself: erstwhile would I leave this game? How much can you endure in the name of maintaining good emotions?” These questions arise on their own, especially since at any point the Danish household truly decided to leave the country home in the Netherlands yet returning...
The perfect script was to make Abel mute without language, which is only explained at the end of the film. In general, it is the scenes involving children that are the most poignant, especially for the viewer, who is the parent himself. Of course, this only proves the efficiency of the Tafdrup brothers, for the script was worked by the brother of manager Mads. This is their second joint script after the movie Potvora, and I must say that the gentlemen have come to know each another from the best possible side.
The soulful, psychedelic atmosphere was enhanced in the movie by music, which appears rarely, only in the key moments, but for that, how effective – increasing orchestrations that do not make any melody, but service only as a artistic background for scenes – something wonderful! He is liable for the music Sune Kolster.
The work of the camera and phase plan – night scenes (especially the final scene) is an art of pure form. Behind the camera he stood here Erik Molberg Hansenand the perfect set plan designed Sabine Haviid. It can be seen that there was a kind of chemistry between artists, even though the motor of the movie is definitely the relation between the characters, but the full setography and way of moving the camera are undoubtedly added value.
It is besides interesting that since the beginning of the movie the viewer electrifies the psychedelic host matrimony and their boy mute. In time, however, we involuntarily empathize in the form of title guests, who are very emotional. On the 1 hand, they are very sympathetic, kind, kind and trusting. As the movie progresses, the viewer begins to irritate their naivety and saphandulity, for which they come to pay a advanced price.
You can't watch this movie calmly for a while. The most annoying thing is that there is nothing going on there (as usually happens in thrillers or horror movies) NAGLE! Each, another unfortunate event that meets our heroes was predictable. The full reality and the situation in which they were active imposes further informing signals. To the very end, Loise, Bjorn and Agnes seem to be disbelieving in the hope that everything will come to an end and he'll show up with a joke. It is written on their faces (perfect acting game): "It is impossible, after all they are specified cordial people, let us not spoil the atmosphere with bad emotions" ...
Thus the creators of the movie beyond the dose of anxiety, horror, fear and madness that we anticipate from specified proposals supply us with an additional package of emotions and thoughts that truly stay within us. By the way, does this saffronity, naivety and mechanics of Overton's window not live match the situation in which our country is now? I do not make this thought to not start a fresh column, but I leave readers under consideration.
In conclusion, “Guests” directed by Christian Tafdrup is an excellent image that is remembered. If I hadn't seen "Funny Games" before, I would have considered this movie truly outstanding in all respect, but I would have given 8,5/10 here, despite this.
Bartosz Iwicki
photo of filmweb
Think Poland, No. 31-32 (30.07-6.08.2023)
