La vida según Attenberg

Difficult. That's what cult stands for in this situation. Greece's highest creations come from a group of people where they recycle and create via a type of rotation. The producer of Dogtooth become a director, the director an actor and so on. Not bad at all. Follows the artistic aspect of Dogtooth, showing a story on adulthood and dealing with loss and what you are. An unconventional human being (with a touch of Asperger's syndrome), a loving and caring father, a slutty best friend and a partner almost like an alter ego, resembles to her father, and mirrors herself. Honest, familiar yet artsy, method-ish and pretentious from time to time. But still opens up to the viewers, where the twisted is welcome, no one judges and offers himself to the public effortlessly, honestly almost unconditionally. A new era, post modern, unlocks the contemporary social establishment.

Dark, unpleasant movie about contemporary Greece, set by a dying father and a lost-soul daughter. Strange how you can fall in love with an actress you haven't seen before, as I did with Ariane Labed playing Marina. I guess she reminded me both physically and spiritually of an ex-girlfriend. Attractive, somehow boyish, always making the other move, both at a distance and now and then unexpectedly intimate. All the talking in other reviews about Marina being emotionally 'dead' is total nonsense. You have to (try to) understand this character, but not many men are willing or able to. To me she was the shining light in this portrayal of a depressed, bankrupt and humiliated country. This movie worked like a magnet to me. After I finished watching it, I was almost certain the director had to be a woman of about my age. I was right. I suppose Ariane has a great filming future ahead of her, but I hope she will perform in movies like this one. But it could just as well be her best role already.

Athina Rachel Tsangari's "Attenberg" doesn't present the most positive image of Greece. The focus is a pair of friends in a mining town. The main girl is watching her father die, and her only real pleasure is watching David Attenborough's wildlife documentaries, in addition to the sex education given to her by her friend.

The movie itself was pretty slow and seemed to have little other purpose except to show these girls in a grim existence. But at the same time it gives one a sense of life in the Hellenic Republic. Once the land that gave the world philosophy, it's now the Third World of Europe. The historic sites are surrounded by crumbling sidewalks and people missing teeth. It's no accident that Greece has been probably the single country most affected by Europe's economic mess. As the main girl's father puts it: "We went from sheep to bulldozers."

Anyway, it's not any kind of great movie, but it does give one an idea of the status quo in Greece.

It's weird, it's fresh, it's new, it's youth portrayed. I loved it, it's one of those films that stick with you even days after seeing it. It's a pretty simple plot but the interactions of Marina with her friend, her lover and specially her father are thoughtful, intimate, funny and very interesting to watch. The feeling of this movie is not to take very seriously major life events. In a way, it's a very positive, weird, original and funny movie. The intimacy achieved by the main actress it's amazing, and as much as I loved it, I understand not everyone will get it, or feel it the way I had. But to me, it was a journey whom I connected deeply with. The misanthropic and weird nature, but also positivity and amazingness of Marina captivated me. I'm very grateful I had the opportunity to watch it through MUBI. Plus! the soundtrack fu*king rocks, I love the band Suicide. It's a greek gem, and it certainly has become one of my favorites.

This movie, despite seeming like a mess, makes a lot of sense to me.

Human existence is defined by essential contrasts. The sexual and the unsexual reflect the conflict between instinct and choice; death and life, the transience that gives meaning to the present.

Human existence is marked by contrasts that define and challenge us. Between the sexual and the unsexual lies the dilemma of creation and restraint, of desire and renunciation. What is instinctive clashes with what is chosen, revealing the boundaries and freedoms of our being.

Wisdom is the discernment that illuminates ignorance, while knowledge and the unknown coexist, reminding us of our limits. Finally, the rational and the animal find balance, uniting reason and instinct, showing that to be human is to embrace these dualities.

Very, very good!