Miss Violence

My Rating: 8/10

I cant lie, after watching this movie I literally felt nauseous. The psychological and physical abuse depicted in the film is extremely raw and literal that, personally speaking, I had a hard time to digest afterwards.

I really found disturbing to acknowledge the extent of abuse a parent can inflict to their childern and the indulgence someone can show to their abuser.

I don't believe this is a film for everybody's taste, but I would suggest to give it a try, as such films, as this one, as much as disturbing they can get, as much thought provoking they can be...

Miss Violence was the first film I've seen at this years Vancouver International Film Festival and what a fantastic film it is. There are similarities to Giorgos Lanthimos's films (Dogtooth, Alps) where you spend the first third of the film figuring out the relationships of the characters to each other and the rules of the world they live in. The rest of the film is spent either reveling in either horror or fascination in the world and characters created.

This story is given to you in small pieces which build upon your understanding of who these people are. This in turn makes you a very active film-goer and creates a feeling of investment. When Miss Violence reaches it's climax I could feel the collective sighs from the 200+ people gathered to watch it at the festival.

Be warned though...it is heavy, but so worth it. You'll be talking about it for awhile to come.

If I were to rename this film I would call it "behind closed doors", although that's perhaps too much on the nose. Closed doors are a visual leitmotif of the film, creating an atmosphere of increasing anxiety throughout. This psychological thriller should come with multiple content warnings, despite most of its triggering elements being implicit rather than explicitly shown on screen.

A seemingly ordinary and very well-adjusted family (the kinship relations of which are -deliberately- confusing in the first part of the film, until we understand who is who to each other) has to deal with a seemingly unexplained tragic loss of one of its younger members. As we spend more time inside the family home, observing the interactions and dynamics, we grow increasingly uneasy. The clues are everywhere from scene one, but, like in real life sometimes, we treat them with a level of disbelief "could it be...? no way... they're just our nice and polite next door neighbours".

At the technical level, everything works: the performances are all just as understated as the aesthetics of the film require and totally in sync with each other, the photography, the pacing, the editing... I can't find a fault.

Like others have pointed out, the influence of the Greek Weirdwave cinema is present, although the "weirdness" is comparatively rather toned down, with the plainly disturbing elements being dialled up to 11. Let's just say it's not a film you watch if you want to feel better about the world.

"Miss Violence" uses a subtlety and subtlety to treat and expose a perverse theme that opposes human nature, or does it not? this is the theme reflected in the film - although not to the depth we would like - another Greek film that exposes human nature, such as the great "Canine Tooth" or "The Boy Who Eats Alpiste", this new wave in Greek cinema that maybe has been rocked by its economic crises that makes the filmmakers seek inspiration in their own humanity. The script of miss violence keeps the revelation to the last act, and is giving clues in the first two playing with the viewer, instigating it, and that works in some way, because we are looking for clues and solutions, and when we think that an explanation is correct , the director integrates some point in the film that leaves us even more shaken and confused. But the script is intelligent, linear, working with few nuclei and practically a scenario he manages to maintain a high level of psychological suspense. In addition to child abuse, hostility and domestic violence, the film also deals with the loss and prohibition of mourning, it always has that story "So and so do not want you to cry at your funeral" and it is with this dilemma that our characters are not advised to follow, and yes, thank you. The film has a camera that films scene against scene all the time, leaving the camera always completely impartial, as in other films already mentioned, the director does not want to create a villain, he just wants to show what is happening, who chooses the villains are us, the movie also has a good set up even with its slow tempo and a great use of soundtrack. in addition to their range of actors, who are completely incredible, even the younger actors retain a remarkable sadness and melancholy, Alexandros Avranas director of the long, makes his first direction with the right foot and shows that he has talent. Finally, "Miss Violence" really is not a movie for any person, it takes a steel stomach, not for nojeira or gore, but for the context and subcontext present and operant in the work.

My Rating : 7/10

'Miss Violence' maintains a certain tension throughout and because of the incredible acting you do end up believing their miserable life and their family secrets.

It's a disturbing watch and I can only recommend it to moviegoers that like such content - it also has a somewhat of an arthouse feeling to it which I found appealing.