Kynodontas (2009)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Giorgos Lanthimos

Writers:

Efthymis Filippou (writer)
Giorgos Lanthimos (writer)

Release Date:

11 November 2009 (Greece)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Three teenagers are confined to an isolated country estate that could very well be on another planet...

Plot Keywords:

Sexual Awakening | One Word Title | Family Life

Awards:

7 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Christos Stergioglou	...	Father
Michelle Valley	...	Mother
Aggeliki Papoulia	...	Older Daughter
Mary Tsoni	...	Younger Daughter
Hristos Passalis	...	Son
Anna Kalaitzidou	...	Christina
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alexander Voulgaris	...	Dog trainer

Also Known As:

Dogtooth (International: English title)

Runtime:

Greece:94 min (Cannes Film Festival)

Country:

Greece

Language:

Greek

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

New Zealand:R18

Company:

Boo Productions

Pointless, pretentious drivel

This is without question the worst movie I have ever seen.

Normally I think I have a fairly open mind when it comes to films. The inclusion of graphic sex and violence, obtuse surrealism, erratic cinematography and laborious pacing doesn't deter me... as long as there's a point. If they're there to provoke a response; to elicit some kind of engagement and to reinforce the message of the film; in short - if they add to the enjoyment of the film; then all's well and good.

In Dogtooth's case however, they appear to be there solely for the sake of being there. If there's a theme to this movie other than pandering to the impossibly gargantuan pretensions of the clearly deluded writer/director, I completely missed it. I too was at the Wellington session mentioned in the previous user comment; and I and my girlfriend were very close to walking out towards the end. Had we left, it would've been my first time ever leaving a movie before it finished... and I've sat through Transformers 2.

It's not even "so bad it's entertaining". It's "so bad you'll feel angry at yourself, the producers, the cast, and the writer/director for not just wasting 90 minutes of your life, but subjecting you to 90 minutes of mediocrity in an intellectual and creative wasteland". There are almost no redeeming qualities - the acting is bland, the camera-work is irritating at best, and the script is unintelligible.

Please trust me on this: I am not a prude, I am not easily shocked, and I enjoy a "mind workout" when seeing festival films.

But put simply, this movie should not have been made.