Wolf [DVD]

This is a fantastic film. It definitely touches on the psychology of why someone would believe they're actually an animal, but also touches on the spiritual aspects of it. I like that every patient is different and some are closer to their animal sides than others, where some may actually just be crying out for attention. The relationship between the two leads is compelling, and I like that not everything is clear-cut and explained. The acting is also incredible! Especially by the male lead playing Jacob.The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because there are times where the writing and direction tends to go a bit into fetish territory with the restraint of some of the characters later in the story. Otherwise, I absolutely loved it. 8/10 for me.

I wanted to like this movie but found it so slow moving and ridiculous that I just couldn't finish it....I did skip to the end though - it ends the same way that it starts...so really nothing resolved. So I am glad I wasted no more further time watching it. Seems people either loved it or hated it....I was bored by it.

“To be human,” Christopher Higgs observes, “one must participate in a system of belonging. Those who cannot, become Monster” (31). He differentiates ‘human being,’ the noun, the biological state of being, from ‘being human,’ the verb, the social state of being. He adds: “we must not be fooled into believing a human is a human and a monster is a monster outside of social and historical contexts” (34).That, to me, is at the heart of "Wolf': it asks what it means to be human. Set in a facility where inmates are cured of 'species dysmorphia' (the belief that you're a non-human animal in a human body), the film shows the flaws of such a treatment system: Dr. Mann, the head of the facility, repeatedly uses the body of the inmates to reinforce the lesson that they are human beings, even when the inmates acknowledge and underscore the wrongness of the body they are born into.I watched the film because it has two actors whose performances I was a fan of: primarily George MacKay (1917, Kelly Gang) and Fionn O'Shea (Handsome Devil). They were both brilliant in this film: MacKay who think he's a wolf, and O'Shea who sees himself as a German Shepherd. Their relationship to themselves and to their bodies is strikingly different and the actors enact these difference with small, striking details and tics that make the characters feel lived.MacKay is in particular brilliant: his body's movements (esp. the way one shoulder bone then the other juts up when he walks on all four) are as striking as his face acting when he expresses his anguish, confusion, and anger (the scene where he attacks the man who's bullying the boy, for instance; the conflict of that human instinct with his animal expression is well-portrayed by MacKay). I hope his work in this film is recognized with Best Actor nominations and at least some if not several awards in that category.The background music is excellent as well, as is the cinematography.A reviewer pointed out the fact that none of the inmates feel like they're an animal that's part of the food chain. I think it's a striking and deliberate choice: we cease to see them as sentient beings, so they do not manifest in our consciousness as an alternate persona through this 'dysmorphia'.Yet another reviewer pointed out the contradiction that MacKay believes he's a wolf but falls in love with a 'wildcat'. And I found myself wondering what would haven happened if in place of Dr. Mann these characters had a doctor who shunned the duality of a categorization system that positions them as either human or animal. Such a dual mode of perception, Glissant notes, "has repercussions on one's idea of the Other (one conquers or is conquered)." What if these characters were instead told they could be human and wolf (or dog or wildcat)? What if they were encourage to embrace their multiplicities? Could they have reached what Glissant calls a dialectic of totality? It would've been interesting to see Nathalie Biancheri (Nocturnal Animals) explore this possibility.Still. "Wolf" made for a captivating watch. I would highly recommend it, esp. for the bravura, electric performance by George MacKay.

not my cuppa. yawn on film, not actors.

What a strange little movie. I can't say I've ever really seen anything like it.It is painful to watch as these characters navigate their realities while being forced to accept that who they are is merely an illness. It is a deep-dive into a lot of things going on right now, I think, but most especially the transgender experience. I am not trans so I can only say so much, but with my own struggle with identity, this movie really brought forth the terrible vulnerability when being asked if your truth is delusion when you're not so sure yourself. Your heart says one thing, but your head - and society - tell you another. In some scenes, this topic of truth is tested in very intense, visceral ways, and in others, their truths are forced into such a small box, you can't help but feel the need to set them all free.I say watch it with an open mind. Not because of the underlying topics, but bc it is told in such a strange way. A strange way that is beautiful once you allow it to be, but definitely a little bit different.If anything at all, you should watch it for George MacKay's role. That boy commits to this character so well, he becomes him completely. Such a good job.

I baught this movie and did not even finish watching it...👎👎👎

What I found most impressive about Wolf was the way it achieves a balance between a more observational approach and one that is profoundly internal. This is particularly striking in George MacKay’s performance as Jacob/Wolf. MacKay’s quiet and powerful performance builds as the film progresses, just as Jacob/Wolf comes to know himself.The cinematography and editing also play into this – where static shots with balanced compositions, interplay with and evolve into more erratic and handheld shots. This is really beautifully demonstrated in the dance class sequence towards the end of the film.As the closing shot makes us reassess the opening, Biancheri leaves us with the questions of what makes us human? And humane? What inspires and grants us our humanity, and what takes it away?I highly recommend watching this film.

So, my 20 month old ordered this when she was playing with *MEOW* the remote. We figured since she spent $20 on it, we should watch it. Well, holy mother of *prrrrrrr*. There is no possible way that someone could legitimately watch this and take it serious or enjoy it. It was almost funny because of *MEOW* how ridiculous it is. If I were into illicit drugs, it may have been a good trip, but alas, I sat through it and couldn’t help but wonder how on earth this was funded, cast, and produced. I mean seriously…what the *prrrrrrr*