Playground. Un mundo

Let me start by admiring the performance of the child actors in this film. It's a dark and uncomfortable world they portray, and they make you emerge in it, and have you struggling to come back to the surface and not feel suffocated, which, I suppose, is the film's purpose. The children make it feel very real. Amazing.

This is not a movie for a jolly night out. It's rough and tough. It is however, a portrayal of what the world can be/feel like for kids. This film shows that there are many kinds of bullying, some physical and aggressive, some psychological and, perhaps, in a way unintended. It shows the impact it has on the life of children. Most of all it shows there is hardly a way out, least of all an easy one, despite well-meaning adults.

Adding to the story's unease is the weird camera work. Most of the time it's close-ups of little Nora, with the people she's interacting with sometimes in an intimate co-close-up, and sometimes only half in view, or speaking from a blurred background. Only occasionally, there is a wider shot, either to set a scene or to show something Nora's watching. This really pulls you in and grabs you by the throat.

All in all, an intriguing but very uneasy watch!