SNAPSHOT
Wild, outrageous and utterly hilarious, Animals is the acclaimed new film from director Sophie Hyde based on the book of the same name by Emma Jane Unsworth, featuring stunning lead performances from Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat. (synopsis courtesy Jumpcut Online)
At first glance, you may not think that Australian Sophie Hyde-directed Animals, which screened in the Premieres category Sundance, would have anything too deep to say about female friendships and the dislocations that are inevitable as life goes on and one person’s life changes faster than the others.
But, according to The Guardian‘s review of the film, there’s a great deal of substance going on in a film that, you can tell from the trailer, contains some stellar writing and brilliantly-evocative performances.
“There’s a far more conventional film to be made from what could be an overly familiar log-line: two best friends face conflict when one reveals she’s getting married. But what’s so startling about Animals is its undying ability to upend expectations. It’s not exactly packed with twists, but dialogue remains spiky and unpredictable, scenes don’t play out in the ways in which we’re used to, and characterisation is free of judgment and cliche. It’s easy to underestimate the unstructured delicacy of the script, written by Emma Jane Unsworth based on her book of the same name. There’s rich detail and truth underpinning her gloriously untamed study of friendship, one that refuses to play by the rules.”
How good is this film, you ask? THIS … GOOD …
“Hyde has forged a wonderful, utterly lived-in film about two women at a crossroads, one that attendees should be breathlessly, excitedly discussing around town, urging everyone else to see immediately.”
So, there you have it. Off with you to the cinema then!
Well, not just yet … if you’re in the UK and Ireland, see it from 2 August; screening dates for the rest of the world have yet to be announced.