Among the films squeezing in under yesterday ‘s foreign-language submission deadline were two pretty major titles, both boasting hefty festival hardware — not that that makes them strong Oscar possibilities by any means.
As we suspected, Greece (not nominated in the category since 1977) did indeed submit Yorgos Lanthiomos’s surreal family drama “Dogtooth,” which won the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes, and recently played at Toronto. The film is gradually acquiring an ardent critical following, chief champion of which is James Rocchi, who suggests it is the year’s best so far:
“Dogtooth” speaks to Greek history, to be sure, but it also works as a universal fable about the blunt mechanics — and bizarre appeal — of dictatorship … “Dogtooth” is funny and then terrifying and, somehow, both at the same time. Haunting, bold and truly cinematic in its ambitions, expressions and convictions, “Dogtooth” might be the best film I’ve seen all year — and, somehow, it got even deeper and more disturbing on the second viewing.