【TIFF16】Zoology

Zoologyisafable-likestorywithjusttherightdashofsurrealism.However,writer-directorIvanI.Tverdovskiygetstooheavy-handedwithallegories,preventingthepremisefromreachingitsfullpotential.However,theactingisstrongandthereisenoughwryhumourinthefilmtomakeitafairlypleasantwatch.Natasha(athoroughlyconvincingandverydynamicNatalyaPavlenkova)isamiddle-agedloser,bulliedatworkandstilllivingwithhermom.Butshehasasecret--shehasgrownatail,apink,hairlessappendagethatseemstobenottotallywithinhercontrol.Shegoestoseethedoctoraboutthetail,butthedoctorkeepssendingherbacktotakex-rays,ashealwaysclaimsthattheimageisntclearenough.Natashabecomesinvolvedwiththeyoungerx-raytechnician,Petya(likablyplayedbyDmitriyGroshev),whoiscompletelyunbotheredbythetail.Natashais,atfirst,thrilledbytheacceptance.Butthisbecomesthesourceoftheultimateconflictinthefilm.Tverdovskiyclearlyintendsthetailtoberepresentativeofsomething--orperhapsmanythings,andthiscreatesloopholesintheplotthatevenNatalyaPavlenkovasactingcantquitecoverup.Theendingfeelsrathercontrived,andisnotatallsatisfying.IfweseethetailasasymbolofNatashasdifference,thenwhydoesshesuddenlydecidetogetridofhertailwhenPetyademonstratesdesiretowardsit?Uptothatpoint,weseethepositivechangesNatashasacceptanceofhertailhashadonherlife,andwhenshejoinsinthecommunalgossipingabouttheunknownquot;devilwomanquot;whohasatail,weseethatsheisencouragingthenarrativeofdifferencesurroundingherself.Inanotherscene,weseeNatashaliterallygettingoffwithhertail,inthebathtub.OnereadingoftheendingmightbethatNatashafeelsfetishizedandobjectifiedbyPetya,inthattohim,whatmakesherdifferenthastakenoverasherentirepersonality.Whilethisdilemmabetweenlovingyourselfforyouruniquenessandbeingperceivedasnothingmorethanalabelwouldmakeforagreatclimax,thefilmdoesnotflownaturallyinthisdirection,andsotheendingfeelsabruptandforced.Similarly,thecinematographybyAleksandrMikeladzestartsoutverydistinctive--aseriesofhand-heldshotsstaticallyframed,withthemise-en-scenebeinggeometrictothepointofneurosis,andabeautifullymonotonouscolourpalettecomposedofvariousshadesofmutedblues--butendsupbecominglooseandunfocusedasthestoryprogresses.Allinall,Zoologyspremiseandopeningisbetterthanitsexecutionandconclusion,butitisstillworthcheckingout:whileitsnomasterpiece,itdoeshaveacertaincharmaboutit.本文版权归作者やま所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。