An honest and painful (very painful) portrayal of a mother and son who do not fit. Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller are extraordinarily believable in their roles. So much is said in body language (how did they get that toddler actor to behave the way he did? even if he is 5!) and in facial expressions from Swinton and Miller. This is a riveting well made film.
I have always been uncomfortable with the romanticism of mother and child relationships. 36 years as a social worker and my own experiences as a parent and child have left me very aware of all that can go wrong. While this is an extreme example of what can go wrong it is real, imaginable, and not a horror show. Just real people living a horrific event. And in the end Tilda's embracing of her son is what makes this film human, believable and important. See this film to gain knowledge of the human condition. You will not be entertained.
As an aside. Abe thought the film was well made, with extraordinary acting. He did not like the story and we disagreed about the father's role. Always interested in the role of gender at these times.
I love your gender perspective. Ira had a gender perspective on "The Separation", and I was so aware of that.
ReplyDeletePam