Hooked! What I'm Watching: The Square (2017)
"But is it Art?" - Patsy from AbFab while looking at a dead body
[No spoilers here, I promise]
I’m not sure how I found his movie, but today, a few days later, I am still reverberating from the experience. Winner of the Cannes Palme d’Or, this movie successfully does what I sometimes try to do sometimes in my writing: provide a visceral experience of an art piece through another medium. The medium here is of course the camera, using crisp cinematography and supported by a hilarious script.
Sitting back, thinking about what makes it so good has led me to one conclusion. The director has a keen insight into what to show and what not to show to maximize the emotional effect of the scene. Without any spoilers, in one scene you see that something unexpected has resulted from a somewhat harmless trick played by the main character, a middle-aged art dealer in Sweden. But you are left wondering, what was that noise? Is someone dead? The movie suddenly takes a disturbing turn and everything you have seen up to that point takes on a new meaning. This happens a few times in the film: something just off-screen changes the entire movie.
There is also a scene in a large dining room that will stick with me for a long time. Similarly striking movie moments, such as the blood river that comes from the elevator in the Shining, or the colorful banners at the end of the Color Purple come to mind. Without giving it away, I’ll just say it really conveys a piece of performance art in a way that makes you feel like you are there. I was sitting on the edge of my seat, I was disgusted, I was terrified, I was inspired and then a feeling of deep understanding came over me. Powerful stuff.
I have to warn you this movie is a slow burn. If you’re looking for action or a thriller, this is not the movie for you. It takes its time. But if you’re into art and its conversation with the world, its uplifting moments, its hypocrisy and madness, and a cast of famous actors that are all at the top of their game, I think you’ll like this one. Plus the movie is funny as hell.
Now streaming on Amazon and other services…
I believe i am too lowbrow to watch this . . . but maybe. my hubby would/will love it tho. My main comment is your writing is so damn great. can't you be a reviewer for the times please? please?