Woodford on Film

8/10
What an incredibly beautiful movie. 

Throughout the film, Trier manages to find a near perfect balance between shots that center the space and shots that center the characters. The space, in particular the family house, is foregrounded in a way which doesn’t sacrifice the emotional expressions of the characters. 

While this film has some incredibly witty lines, I found it was best in the more silent moments. This is an incredibly physical and visual film, with the actors and camera working together to communicate so much by saying very little. As someone who normally finds long and silent sequences a bit tedious, I think this film does an incredible job of balancing these long, silent, moments with some that are a bit more chaotic and confrontational. The film is at its best during these intimate emotional pauses, as the outstanding performance from the cast communicates raw primal emotions that I think can strike a chord with most viewers.

 I also think this film does a good job of introducing a pretty obvious metaphor of generational trauma via the family home and using it sparingly enough throughout the film that it’s not as heavy handed or obnoxious as a metaphor of this kind could be. 

 This film certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to its plot; absent father, dead mother, tortured yet talented artists, the impact of trauma across generations, but I don’t think it’s incredibly detrimental to the overall viewing experience. The film’s best commentary, and the one that seemed to resonate most with the audience, was the clever jabs against some of the new streaming/social-media elements of the film industry. 

 This is an incredible film if you enjoy deep character studies, well-established close ups and visuals, and contemplative intimacy on screen. 

Scoring Card:

Formal Technique: 10/10

Story: 6/10

Dialogue: 8/10

Performances: 9/10

Overall: 8/10