Alps (Giorgos Lanthimos, 2011): Greece

Reviewed by Christopher Connor. Viewed at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Giorgos Lanthimos does it again with Alps, his disturbing new follow up film to Dogtooth. Where Dogtooth may have been a little more visually uncomfortable and shocking, we’re faced with a movie that works a little more subtlety, but just as well, if not better.

We are immediately thrown into this strange world where we aren’t sure what’s actually real and what’s made up. Shortly into the movie, we are introduced to a small group of people that make up a support group by the name of Alps. This support group deals with grieving people by taking on the role of their lost loved ones. They wear their clothes, say the same things they would say, and have the same favorite food. This goes on for as long as it needs to until the customers can finally cope with their loss.

We are given no real names, each person of the group adopting a name of one of the mountains of the Alps.  We are given no information on how the group originally formed. We are almost left completely in the dark, leaving ourselves to try to figure it all out on our own. The dialog is simple, almost machine like. The relationships are ill defined, if not just completely fake. This all does a perfect job in creating an almost surreal world.  The filming style, cinematography, and lack of music, though, help remind you that it’s supposed to be set in reality. This balance really works well in keeping you jumping back and forth, making you question what you are watching.

Alps seems to have a bit in common with Dogtooth with the idea of people being put into false environments. In the latter, it’s forced. In Alps, they are willingly created. Why? Is it to truly help people? Or is it to avoid reality? There is no clear answer. Those may not even be the right questions to ask. It’s all mysterious and the viewer is left to try and piece it together.

This movie is dark. Sometimes so dark and absurd that it’s comical. But this movie shouldn’t be viewed as a comedy. It’s disturbing and strange. It’s a movie that may not be for everyone. But if you’re looking to watch a movie where you are almost guaranteed to  feel uncomfortable, unsure, and question the dynamics of relationships, where you will have to decide for yourself as the movie goes on what it means and what is trying to be said, if anything at all, then Alps is definitely a movie you will not want to miss.