Every now and then a film comes along that I never want to see a second time. Not because it’s bad, very much the opposite. But because it’s so dark and depressing that it’s not something I ever want to experience again. I don’t know if the father in this film is manic depressive, bipolar, or just vanilla insane. He’s verbally abusive to his employees, drives his son to develop a stutter and attempt suicide, and in his spare time enjoys torturing small animals and running over cats with his car (he makes the son keep count ..3..4..5).
The cinematography is excellent, and so is the acting. The mentally ill behavior of the father’s character and its effect on his wife and children is disturbing. There’s very little dialogue or explanation of the setting, but I think it takes place in Morocco. There is no happy ending.
Venue: Seattle International Film Festival, 2010
Genre: Drama