Controversy at Cannes
"The Square" nabs the Palme d'Or Award
One of the most fascinating films to come out of Sweden, or anywhere else for that matter, in the last few years, was Force Majeure (2014), about a marriage torn apart by a father’s cowardice act during a family ski vacation. The aftermath, the slow and painful demolition of the relationship, was as dramatic and heart-stopping as the avalanche that triggered this emotional passion play.
So obviously expectations are high for director Ruben Ostlund’s follow up, The Square, about a disastrous PR stunt that nearly takes down the pretentious Swedish art world. The sprawling satire stars Elizabeth Moss (what a year this actress is having!) as an American reporter who catches the eye of the smug museum director played by Swedish actor Claes Bang. It also stars The Affiair’s Dominic West and Terry Notary, an astounding performance artist who impersonates an ape in The Square’s trailer (above) and most uncomfortably intense scene in the movie.
Already the recipient of the highest honor at Cannes 2017, the Palme d’Or, the film opens stateside in October and should be a shoe-in for Best Foreign Film come Oscar time.