This Greek black comedy is a twisted and intriguing affair - depicting the lives of an isolated family, where the children have all been raised with strange boundaries and teachings - aeroplanes flying overhead are said to be toys that sometimes fall to the ground, they have a brother living on the other side of an insurmountable fence, only the patriarch can leave the compound, sex is emotionless, and the meanings of numerous words have been replaced without their knowledge. The film takes a gentle, yet distanced, view on the proceedings which move at a creeping pace as if from a passive or even seated perspective (oftentimes heads are entirely cut out of the frame once the characters stand up), escalating from the bizarre (the father pimps his factory's security woman out to his son at regular intervals) to the disturbing (sudden moments of blunt violence and perverse sexual practises), there's still room for a curious sense of comedy. Rocky IV, Jaws, and Flashdance all find their way into this cut-off and insular world that avoids explanation. I figured I'd give this a punt as it was showing during Film4's recent Extreme season (as presented by film critic Mark Kermode), and in spite of the more troubling moments, it makes for a fascinating and darkly comic viewing experience.
Continue reading after the jump for Import/Export, and Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II...
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