This is the story of Zélie who lives on a remote farm under the suffocating control of her father Jacob, who sews sick people into wooden masks saying it will save them from a plague that is ravaging th countryside.
This film frustrates me. It’s a creepy film about religious insanity, plagues, and weirdness. Ita film that has a disturbing visual sense that keeps things on edge my making everything thing seem just a couple of degrees into being wrong. It’s got a stellar cast that sell every moment. Unfortunately, the presentation kind of just misses.
Part of the problem is that the score is intrusive. Instead of working with the film it seems to take it over in several spot. Another issue is there are times when we can feel the hands of the director pumping up moments to a soapy degree. The look of the film feels more like TV drama then real life. More than once I felt I was being manipulated by what I was seeing instead of watching a story unfold. It’s not constant and its mostly in little moments. Its not fatal but it keeps what is otherwise a great film just a good one.
My quibbles aside this is a must see for anyone who wants to see a off the beaten trail sort of horror film.
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