Film: "The Square"
Sweden’s Oscar entry, starring Elisabeth Moss, is a knife-sharp satire on the highbrow art world and the digital age.
From Ruben Östlund, writer/director of Golden Globe nominee Force Majeure, comes another unnerving and provocative satire—this time aimed at the highbrow art world. Christian is the handsome, sophisticated and somewhat smug curator of a contemporary art museum, a divorced but devoted father of two who drives an electric car and supports good causes. His next show is “The Square,” an installation that invites passersby toward altruism, reminding them of their role as responsible fellow human beings. But sometimes it is difficult to live up to your own ideals: Christian’s foolish over-reaction to the theft of his phone drags him into shameful situations. Meanwhile, the museum’s PR agency has created an unexpected campaign for “The Square.” The response is overblown and sends Christian, as well as the museum, into an existential crisis. Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale), Dominic West (The Affair) and “animal” actor Terry Notary co-star in this Cannes Palme d’Or Winner and Sweden’s entry for this year’s Academy Awards. D: Ruben Östlund, Sweden, subtitled, 2017, Runtime: 2h22m
