Film Review: Miss Violence (18) (Greece 2013) (Director: Alexandros Avranas) (Greek with English Subtitles), The Cameo Cinema Screen Two, Edinburgh, Tuesday 26.08.2014 18:00
The film begins with a girl throwing herself to her death on her eleventh birthday, and from this starting-point the film slowly reveals a history and pattern of child sexual-abuse that has probably existed within the family for generations.
Elements of the abuse are hinted at in questions, that are then left to linger. At other times the abuse is confirmed by visual evidence. On the whole the presenting of elements of the abuse is handled subtly and without a hint of gratuitousness. There is only one scene which lingers on the abuse. It strangely feels appropriate for this to have been done once in the film, as to not have lingered at all would have caused for the severity of the behaviour to have not been properly acknowledged.
The film has seeped into its fabric, detailing of how social groupings such as families, become complicit enablers to abuse by taking the path of least resistance. That is until cracks start to show to the community and/or one or more parties has had enough. The film also details the element of abuse networks and their coded-ways, as well as the calm, yet strained, social veneer used ingratiate in social interactions with locals.
The film is superbly acted, appropriately it is in no way beautiful; there is a stark quality to the social tableau. There is a hyper-real sense to all that occurs. I have seen films before regarding this area of subject matter, though this does feel to be one of the more harrowing and I would certainly have no wish to see this ever again. I would not wish to recommend this to others, as know some would find it to be very difficult, though at the same time, as a film I have nothing to say by way of detracting.
Rating: 08/10.
Elements of the abuse are hinted at in questions, that are then left to linger. At other times the abuse is confirmed by visual evidence. On the whole the presenting of elements of the abuse is handled subtly and without a hint of gratuitousness. There is only one scene which lingers on the abuse. It strangely feels appropriate for this to have been done once in the film, as to not have lingered at all would have caused for the severity of the behaviour to have not been properly acknowledged.
The film has seeped into its fabric, detailing of how social groupings such as families, become complicit enablers to abuse by taking the path of least resistance. That is until cracks start to show to the community and/or one or more parties has had enough. The film also details the element of abuse networks and their coded-ways, as well as the calm, yet strained, social veneer used ingratiate in social interactions with locals.
The film is superbly acted, appropriately it is in no way beautiful; there is a stark quality to the social tableau. There is a hyper-real sense to all that occurs. I have seen films before regarding this area of subject matter, though this does feel to be one of the more harrowing and I would certainly have no wish to see this ever again. I would not wish to recommend this to others, as know some would find it to be very difficult, though at the same time, as a film I have nothing to say by way of detracting.
Rating: 08/10.
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