Dir. Lukas Moodysson, Sweden, 2006, 72 mins
Cast: Jena Malone (narration), Peter Lorentzon, Mariha Åberg
Review by Joyce Dundas The container of the title is the human body and this film attempts to deal with the many shapes, sizes and sexualities that particular object comes in, unfortunately this is done using an emotionless monologue which seems to be the inner thoughts of a young Hollywood starlet so it misses the mark. There is a lot to be said for the 'beauty is only skin deep' mantra, but this film doesn't hold an audience's attention enough to put that message across.
Moodysson has described this film as 'a silent film with sound', which really is a good description. The two stars never say a word, or not that we hear, however we are asked to sympathise with the big, lumbering, transvestite who may also be hoping for a transgender operation – he literally carries an attractive woman on his back. However, sympathy is difficult to come by since there is no narrative structure, even a subverted one, to lead us through his character's development or history.
Added to that Malone's voiceover becomes so irritating after a very short time that the brief moments of humour are not enough to save the conceit.
If you do actually tune in to the narration, some of the comments on celebrity and consumerist culture are interesting. The emptiness of the A-list celebrity experience is savagely bared – the narrator is not even sure if her boyfriend exists, but she does know she was voted 'best eyes' in a magazine poll – and it is also shown as a fantasy that may only exist inside the heads of those who worship at the altar of celebrity.
As a short, probably less than 30 mins, this film might have worked. Moodysson does have something to say and a great eye for a good shot, in this case he focuses on the disturbing.
Unfortunately, the ripple of applause which sounded around the cinema when Malone says 'Can we stop here?' probably indicates how small the niche audience for this film might be.
For people expecting something as radically real as his earlier Lilya-4-ever, there willl be disappointment. (There is a retrospective of the filmmaker's work running concurrently at the ICA to coincide with the film's release.) However, for lovers of monochrome monologues on the monotony of modern life Container is a must see.
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