Film Review: Alps (15), (Greece 2011) (Greek and English with English Subtitles) (Director: Giorgos Lanthimos), Saturday 15.12.2012 20:40, The Filmhouse, Screen Three, Edinburgh

This film I went to see as a result of two things. The recommendation of a Greek man who I met when in Manchester for the concert of The Stone Roses back in June. We were taking about cinema, I had stated that the Greek film Attenberg (2010) was one of my favorite films that I had seen at the cinema the previous year. I was informed that Giorgos Lanthimos, who had acted in Attenberg & directed Dogtooth (2009), had directed Alps and that Ariane Labed who was the lead actress in Attenberg was one of the actresses in Alps. I had also been struck by Ariane's performance in Attenberg, and felt that she handled being central to a very complex and subtle film with great calm, control and presence. So I went to the screening as a result of the recommendation and also my admiration for Attenberg.

(Dogtooth, I found to be startlingly original, though ultimately unenjoyable.)

The premise of Alps is that there is a group of four people called 'Alps', who can 'stand in' for loved ones, after they have passed away, assisting people to do and say things they did not have the chance to do. This sounds and felt very morally dubious, and there are scenes of these people while 'standing in' becoming uncomfortably intimate. It had complexities of dependencies upon the function of the performances being developed on the side of the customer and that of the person 'standing in' within differing set-ups. Some scenes become funny due to their absurdity, and some have an emotional rawness to them that can be shocking. With how the film is presented it becomes difficult to tell when three of the Alps, who are not the leader, are 'standing in' and how far this transgresses into their everyday life. This aspect lingers on in the memory prompting a lot of consideration.

The central character develops a dependence upon the act of 'standing in' to cope with stressful times/events. The closest comparison that I could think of in terms of film, is The Idiots (1998) by Lars Von Trier, where the central characters are also involved in the equally absurd pursuit of accessing and connecting with there 'inner idiot'. In that film this also becomes a default coping method to handle stresses in the lives of the central characters. Last night I was thinking that 'The Idiots' is a markedly better film, though i'm not so sure. 'Alps' is a more subtle film and I suspect more complex film, though is also just as ambiguous.

It is one I would recommend, though only to those who enjoy films that may be seen as distinctly odd. With Attenberg I was charmed from first viewing and find it to be a very life affirming film. I suspect Alps will be more of a grower. Even today sitting reflecting on it, Alps feels more enriching than it did when viewing it.

I was also informed by the Greek person I met in Manchester, who came over from Greece with tickets for all three days of Stone Roses concerts, that the cinema of Dogtooth, Attenberg & Alps has a very small audience in Greece. Sadly in Greece as elsewhere, mainstream hollywood fair is what dominates. There is subtle digs at this aspect of Greek life within Alps, which I enjoyed, though also know I would not have picked up upon had I not had that conversation in Manchester.

I feel Alps is better than Dogtooth, though for me it does not quite compare with Attenberg.

Rating: 09/10.