Lamb

Directed by : Valdimar Johannsson

Ada is a gift.. a new beginning


Spoilers ahead... 


A dark and atmospheric (not really horror) tale of Islandic couple Maria (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason) whose daily routine involves looking after the herd of sheep at their remote farm. One day a sheep gives birth to an unusual lamb whom they decide to raise up together as parents. But taking something away from nature comes with its own consequences. The premise is really good, if only the execution and screenplay was on the same page too. We get a very good opening scene hinting at something present at the farm and then follows a tedious 20 so minutes of nothing but been told how sheeps give births and the kind of isolated life Maria-Ingvar are living. Unless you are fond of Animal tv kind footage there's chances your patience will get tested. Once we get to the scene of that newborn lamb named Ada, the proceedings become interesting. 

We are never shown anything but its clear the couple are grieving over something, possibly something tragic happened to their child. There's a very chilling scene where Maria out of anger kills Ada's mother, its so brutal that you just can't help but feel Maria in order to get her own life back may have gone too far to not get punished one day. I didn't understand why Ingvar's brother Petur (Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson) has a sudden change of heart to an extent that he not only decides not to kill Ada but gets so fond of Ada. Was Ada more than just an unusual born lamb ? Even at start Ingvar didn't feel like giving same kind of love Maria was giving. For me atmospheric setting based films are really good to watch, and here the snowfall surrounding with just single family and a farm makes the isolated feel add up lot more. The ending however was very bizarre, I did like that Maria's punishment was taking Ada and her husband both away, but was there need to show all of it directly, I am not really sure. In the end 'Lamb' was a kind of film that at places felt like 'what the hell am I watching, just turn it off' and then at places it was really good too. So more of a mixedbag for me! 

My Rating : 5/10 



Red Rocket 

Directed by : Sean Baker

It's the adult film awards. It's like the Academy Awards for what I do. 


Spoilers ahead...


Ex pornstar Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) returns back to his small Texas hometown where his ex-wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and her mother lives. With much of pleading he eventually gets a roof for himself there and also starts helping them with money through a job which is selling pot. Its when he decides to give a treat to them taking to a donut restaurant where Mikey meets Strawberry (Suzanna Son) and gets attracted to start a series of meets. But slowly we learn, Mikey has got some other plans in mind and is just using Strawberry to help him back in the porn industry. 

Mikey is a character that you would love and also hate, but the charming personality that Simon Rex brings makes it really a fun ride. He almost carries the entire film on his shoulder and I feel he got robbed off an Oscar nomination. Feel it would had been even better movie if not for the character of Lonnie (Ethan Darbone), who is neighbour of Lexi. I felt Lonnie brought nothing to the story and his sole purpose was to let us know stories of Mikey from past or how he is slowly getting Strawberry in line for joining the adult film industry. I rather would had liked more scenes of Strawberry, could even had let Mikey share those past stories with her. A reason why maybe Sean Baker opted for less of her could be so we may not get idea of Strawberry being the innocent girl, and who knows if she was also using Mikey to get out of the donut restaurant job. Anyways, despite that issue, Red Rocket delivers as a very fun film where you end up enjoying a character like Mikey who in most likelyhood you won't be able to stand in real life at all. Just how cinema works sometimes.. 

My Rating : 7/10