I'm perplexed that this film won the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. In fact, I don't think it should have even been nominated.
It's not an awful film, but its not particularly good either. What stands out most to me is the acting. The acting is atrocious, and I'm not exaggerating here, it really feels like something out of a student film. There is a particular scene during the shooting scene, where the shooter is pointing his gun and taunting two students who are off-screen...I think the intent here was that the student's pleas for mercy would be uncomfortably considering that we can only hear them but not see them, and yet those two actors sound monotone and emotionless. The result of this awful acting is that it ends up becoming laughable and pulls you straight out of the film.
Is there something I'm missing here? Aside from the lousy performances, the film is an uncomfortable watch, but that's mainly because of the subject matter...it doesn't necessarily say anything or stand out in any regard.
It's not an awful film, but its not particularly good either. What stands out most to me is the acting. The acting is atrocious, and I'm not exaggerating here, it really feels like something out of a student film. There is a particular scene during the shooting scene, where the shooter is pointing his gun and taunting two students who are off-screen...I think the intent here was that the student's pleas for mercy would be uncomfortably considering that we can only hear them but not see them, and yet those two actors sound monotone and emotionless. The result of this awful acting is that it ends up becoming laughable and pulls you straight out of the film.
Is there something I'm missing here? Aside from the lousy performances, the film is an uncomfortable watch, but that's mainly because of the subject matter...it doesn't necessarily say anything or stand out in any regard.