Involuntary
With an offbeat sense of humor and an uncanny talent for observing the curiosities of interpersonal communication, Involuntary interweaves several parallel plotlines linked by the theme of group dynamics and the urge to overstep taboo. Two teenage girls chat, take pictures, and get drunk; a group of young men experiment with sex; a righteous grade school teacher tries to resolve the problem of a student bullied by another teacher; and a bus driver holds a group of passengers prisoner. In instances where characters face moral dilemmas about speaking up or staying silent, the protagonists often behave illogically to keep from losing face and find themselves in even more complicated situations. Their unpredictable behavior is reflected in the unconventional camerawork and points of view. Writer-director Ruben Östlund’s knack for perverse comedy leaves the audience with questions about lessons to learn, lectures to give, and lines not to cross.
Sponsor:
City Arts Magazine
Cast & Crew
Director: Ruben Östlund
Producer: Erik Hemmendorff
Editor: Ruben Östlund
Screenwriter: Erik Hemmendorff, Ruben Östlund
Cinematographer: Marius Dybwad Brandrud
Music: Benny Andersson
Principal Cast: Leif Edlund, Maria Lundqvist, Cecilia Milocco, Villmar Bjorkman, Lola Ewerland
Filmography: The Guitar Mongoloid (2004)
World Sales: The Coproduction Office
Average rating:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
(2 reviews)
user reviews
-
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Interesting premise, but uneven, May 17, 2009
By Jeff Cavanaugh
“Films with parallel plotlines (i.e. that don't intersect at some point) can sometimes feel uneven. The director's themes sometimes come through more clearly in some parts of the story than in others, which can cause confusion. However, Östlund uses interesting camera angles which often obscure”
… full review
-
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Involuntary, Jun 13, 2009
By Alex Williams
“There's a scene early in the film in which a grade school teacher conducts an experiment with her class that demonstrates how group pressure can cause individuals to cave in to the will of the group, even when doing so goes against what they know is right. Director Ruben Östlund then presents”
… full review
-
