The evocative imagery and gentle, lapping rhythms of this film are infectious--it gets under our skin and draws us in long before the plot kicks into gear. It also makes us think about issues of attraction and isolation, even as it offends virtually every sense with its continual grisliness and repetitive imagery of pain and mutilation. There's no Humane Society logo here; fish, frogs and birds are all killed on screen, often in brutal ways. The damage to the human characters is even worse; although at least it isn't quite as explicit, it's much more horrific. But the increasingly creepy plot is counter balanced by a genuinely tender romance, which makes the film impossible to categorise, and will no doubt limit it to obscure arthouses and cinephiles who have very strong stomachs. They won't be disappointed.

strong adult themes, violence, language, sex

9.Jul.01

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