Yorgos Lanthimos
2011
93 minutes
This is another early film by Yorgos Lanthimos. This one follows a number of characters who seem to run some sort of grief-counseling service in which they work with people who have lost loved ones. The "counselors" take on the roles of the departed to act out scenarios with their clients where they interact and pretend to be the person who passed away.
You can't decide if it is more troubling or darkly funny or exactly what you are supposed to think about it. When in doubt, anything is worth at least a dark chuckle, which is totally safe if you're not sharing this experience with anyone else.
There's a pretty good chance you will never watch this film with another person in the future. Some films are like that. You may not even discuss your reactions to it with anyone. This one hits a sore spot since there are numerous friends and loved ones you've lost who you'll never have a chance to interact with again. There are a lot of unasked questions and unexpressed apologies and other bits of unfinished business.
You ponder how it would feel to hire one of these grief-LARPers to stand in for one of these lost souls so you can pick up the thread and see where your relationship with them would have taken you next. However, the infighting and squabbling between the people doing this job within the film doesn't necessarily make doing this seem like a good idea, at least not with the sort of people taking on these jobs in the film.
Thinking about this right now is making you a little bit sad and uncomfortable. You're ready to move on.
Time to choose something different: