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A look at Ruben Östlund’s latest film – Play

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Ruben Östlund directing his cast. PHOTO ©Film i Väst

I was lucky enough to catch the red carpet premiere of Play. And even if the champagne was nice and the company even better this is possibly one of the hardest reviews I’ve had to write to date. It’s not the actual text that’s difficult, it’s the subject matter and the execution of it that I don’t want to show in the wrong light. One wrong step and it’s ruined. So here’s my souffle review of Play.

It’s easy to see why during its Cannes premiere people asked Ruben Östlund if he was a racist. It’s because on the surface Play is about 5 black immigrant kids that rob 3 Swedish kids from upper middle class. But as soon as you scratch the skin of Play you’ll see that it’s about much, much more.

The clip above doesn’t have subtitles but it’s a little peak into the world Ruben Östlund invites you into. With a steady camera and most shots lasting several minutes this style adds to the realism of his stories. Not only is it based on true events but Play also isn’t just a film that you just sit back and relax to. It’s a film that hopefully provokes you and raises questions within yourself and your view on racism.

In an interview Östlund points out that while researching this film he not only read the court reports, but also met the police, victims and perpetrators of these events. And even if these black kids only were between 12 and 14, they still knew that they could use the race issue to their advantage while robbing kids. This is something that fascinated him and that’s how Play came to life.

I used to say truth is duller than fiction but if Ruben is going to continue his slice of life filmmaking I might need to reconsider. Souffle anyone?

 

Chris Gardner - Film

November 12, 2011