Jan 1: Dogtooth

"Three teenagers are confined to an isolated country estate that could very well be on another planet"

   Dogtooth is an absolutely disturbing, yet very funny film about two parents who isolate their three children to the largest extremes, including creating new vocabularies for them (a telephone is a salt shaker, a zombie is a flower) and giving them daily challenges in which they earn stickers for prizes. The film was nominated for Best Foreign Film in 2011 and, although the subject matter was unusual, and graphic, I believe it deserved the nomination. 
   I found myself laughing at a lot of instances that I probably should not have found amusing and then cringing during the next scene. The absurdity of some of the lengths the parents go to shelter their kids is quite funny, but then bites you in the ass the following scene when you witness the abuse the parents inflict on their kids. Dogtooth shows you how far some parents are willing to go to keep their kids "safe".


Sight: It is beautifully shot and very gritty. A lot of the graphic scenes did not cut away and you would lay witness to the abuse as though you were part of the family. 

Sound: Lacking a score, the silence and sound effects add to the sheltered atmosphere.
Skill: Being an all Greek cast, the anonymity of the faces make it more realistic and disturbing.
Script: There is not a lot of dialogue, but many of the lines, although messed up, are truly funny.

Score: 9.2/10

Best Quote:
Father: "Soon your mother will give birth to two children and a dog. "
Mother: "If you refuse to behave, I may choose not to give birth at all."