Despite its premise doing a complete U-turn, Yorgos Lanthimos' Alps is a fitting companion piece to Dogtooth and presents the Greek filmmaker employing the same bizarre elements & narrative techniques that made his last film a weird & whacky oddity. And just like before, it is equally intriguing & frustrating.
Co-written & directed by Lanthimos, the concept is interesting but isn't realised to full potential, plus there are stretches of bland, repetitive moments that don't add much to the plot. Character interactions retain their peculiarity, and are delivered with blank expressions which cranks its quirky flavour. However, the ending isn't satisfying enough.
More a tragedy than an absurdist comedy, things do take a serious turn in the later half but these characters are so distant that we aren't invested in their predicament at any given time. Angeliki Papoulia stands out with an input that only gets crazier as plot progresses, and her breakdown scene is as disturbing as it is heartbreaking to watch from the sidelines.
Overall, Alps may not be a singularly bold & daring effort but it allows Lanthimos to further refine his filmmaking style, and carries his signature all over its frames. Not as impressive as his best works, the film lacks a sense of direction and is a tad too preoccupied with upping the eccentricity factor. Nevertheless, if you liked Dogtooth, then Alps is a definite recommendation.
