Little Joe: A Flor da Felicidade

Scientists have created a flower that can make people happy. It is clear though that inhaling the pollen has a stronger effect than just that.

Whilst this is an attractive looking film with an interesting idea and a terrifically weird and wonderful score, the storytelling is linear and pretty staid without the twists and turns that could have made everything more interesting. In addition, the acting, whilst in part intended, is also a little too robotic by all involved to make you really care about the direction of travel.

Jessica Hausner's chilling psychological thriller is visually masterful however lacks a storyline worthy of it. The dizzying camera shots combined with the ominous and unnerving score creates an element of paranoia from the outset. The colours which are at points quite Wes Anderson esque can beautifully slip into the shadowy under belly of Blade Runner (1982). The film centres on Alice who is a single mum and a dedicated breeder at a corporation which genetically engineers plants. She is working on developing a new breed that will control human emotions. Against company policy, she takes one home as a gift for her teenage son and names it after him but soon, though, she starts to fear it. Films and literature throughout history have dealt with the raw unspoilt beauty of flowers and the untold secrets they might hold. Little Joe carries on this tradition. Although the immortal words "Life will find a way" did pop into my head a few times, the film manages to offer up enough which feels different. The theme of mental health, maybe not fully realised, raises some interesting ideas on the subject and the stigma surrounding it. It is also about relationships, which feels more fleshed out but still perhaps not fully explored.Jessica Hausner's eastern European routes and filmmaking style are at odds with the English setting, leaving the viewer with the impression of a tourist eye view of Britain. The acting which was sometimes deliciously creepy and understated, sometimes fell into mockery and felt quite wooden. The saving grace in regards to the acting was Ben Whishaw who was the stand out performance.

I'll break this review down into three sections; Performance, Production, Plot.

Performance. Everyone is pretty much spot on. All the performances are reserved, which aids the intrigue of whether or not they've been infected and even when you're certain their performances always seem to leave you with a sense of doubt.

Production. This is the highlight of the movie. The sound design (both soundtrack and environmental) do a great job creating a sense of discomfort and foreboding. The costume and set design is beautiful and clinical, but also with great touches of vibrance.

Plot. By far the weakest area in the film and unfortunately what lets the film down. The idea is interesting and the way it's developed is interesting too, but plot points are often contrived or out of place and ultimately too little happens over too long a space of time to keep you fully engaged.

Visually appealing but irritating. I don't know if that's what the producers of this were hoping for, and if so they managed to get on my nerves a lot. Everything from the music, to the main characters inability to register what's happening in front of her face. It's basically a film about a plant gaslighting a woman for two hours. I don't know what the film makers were going for and that makes this a bland and slow film

So it's a modern day take on an old sci-fi classic, with a slight twist, fine we understand that quick enough. However, it fails in direction completely, cold acting with warm and pastal colours is just a cliche. The lead actor centre stage and holding the shot whilst (kabuki) music plays (clearly thinks it has something to do with ikebana) gives an ominous feel, REALLY. You care nothing for the characters, why should you, that's the premise of the film. As for the soundtrack, well it is very annoying, a drum here, an asthmatic whistle there, a tin can, what sounds like a box of chihuahua's, just annoys the viewer. The style, it tries but falls flat, the plant is shown in vivid pink, alluding to the passion it feels, the lead actor originally wears bold colours but then the pastoral colours come in later, why they have to wear 70's clothing to allow this when the rest of the film is clearly in the here and now god knows. A typical critics film from a director who believes their own hype finding what they need to find in films as their own lives are one dimensional and so far from a real film goer. Don't even start on the dialogue. A ten minute short would give you a better experience.