Big Bad Wolves

BIG BAD WOLVES
Writer/Director:Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado
Starring:Tzahi Grad, Rotem Keinan, Menashe Noy, Lior Ashkenazi
Availability: DVD and Blu-Ray widely available from Magnet Releasing
Rating:

    So, when Quentin Tarantino declares a movie the best of the year, people tend to stand up and take notice.  Now, I should point out that Tarantino has been known for making some pretty dubious choices from time to time.  He did, after all, declare Woody Allen's Anything Else one of the best films since the release of Reservoir Dogs, and also considered The Lone Ranger one of the best films of its respective year.  Still, the man is a powerhouse in the world of film, and as a rule, he does have pretty impeccable taste.  That wasn't what gave me the desire to seek out Big Bad Wolves, though.  What made me excited about the project was seeing the names Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado, the masterminds behind the awesome gorefest Rabies.

    Big Bad Wolves is, at its core, a story about what a father will do to protect or avenge his family.  Tzahi Grad, in an absolutely chilling performance, plays Gidi, a man whose daughter has been sexually assaulted and left for dead, and he wants to find out where the killer has buried her head, because in Jewish law, a body needs to be buried with all limbs and organs, as they were born.  The main suspect is a seemingly harmless schoolteacher named Dror (a note perfect performance from Rotem Keinan).  In one of the film's opening scenes, Dror is seen being tortured by the police to try to get him to confess to the crime.  Unbeknownst to them, the torture is captured by a child's cell phone, and ends up on the internet.  The man who led the assault, Micki (Lior Ashkenazi), is fired as a result, and decides to kidnap and torture Dror to force him to confess and clear his name.

    As Micki is about to kidnap Dror, they both end up being kidnapped by Gidi, who intends to torture Dror until he tells him where his daughter's head is buried.  To complicate things further, Gidi's father, a retired army vet like his son, arrives at his son's home, and decides to assist Gidi.  To spoil things any further would be an injustice to the surprises that are locked away in the film's narrative, but suffice to say, most of you will not see where the film is heading.

    I'm no expert on Israeli cinema, but I will say that the films of Keshales and Papushado make me want to change that.  One of the things I loved about this film was the fact that it was a movie that focused more on the psychology of the characters rather than being another torture porn flick.  Another interesting twist is that all three of the central characters are all fathers with daughters themselves.  Each one has done some pretty unforgivable things in their lives.  Nobody is a hero here.  These are all people who have chosen to walk a darker path in their lives, leading them all to be the big bad wolves as the title suggests.

    I can't stress enough what an excellent film this turned out to be.  I simply adored the way the plot unfolded.  I wouldn't call it a slow burn, but it took its time to develop each character, and give us some insight into who they are, and why they have been thrown into this grim situation.  Every performance was magnificent, though Tzahi Grad as Gidi was the true highlight.  Despite the fact that he has kidnapped these men, and has put Dror through absolute torment, you can't help but sympathize with him.  As a father myself, I can't say that I wouldn't go a little mad myself if I discovered one of my daughters had been raped and murdered. It's not something any father wants to experience.  The film doesn't play favorites, though.  There's always a bit of mystery in the air.  Just when you think you've got it all figured out, another twist is thrown in, and you're left trying to piece it all together again.

    This is a film that feels like a classic piece of independent cinema.  The cinematography is absolutely stunning.  The score is effectively chilling.  Where Rabies reveled in gore and violence, this movie scales back from all that, and we end up being more horrified by the things we don't see than the things we do see.  The mental tricks this film is able to play on the viewer is something that a lot of films attempt, but aren't able to pull off.  Do I agree with Tarantino that it was the best movie of last year?  No, I wouldn't go that far.  However, I still highly recommend this one.  It packs a real wallop, like a sucker punch to the heart.

Until next time, my fellow freaks and weirdos...