Mainstream cinema seems to be getting less and less hospitable to filmmakers with original voices.
Idiosyncrasy doesnt sell apparently.
South Koreas Bong Joon-ho learned this lesson the hard way on his 2013 movie,Snowpiercer.
After seeing the finished film, the Weinsteins wanted to hack about 20 minutes from Bongs masterpiece.
But after critics got a peek at it, the response was so positive that they backed off.
On its surface,Okjais a sweet, heartwarming fable about a young girl and her pet pig.
But dont let that thumbnail synopsis fool you, were galaxies away from the kid-friendly entertainments ofBabeandCharlottes Webhere.
Of course, altruism is the last thing on Lucys mind.
Not mentioned is what will then happen to said winner.
We also meet Okjaa bulldozer-sized behemoth who looks more like a hippo than a pig.
Mija and Okja are best friends.
They swim under waterfalls, frolic in the mossy green forest, and nuzzle and nap together.
Then one day, Gyllenhaal and the Mirando team pay a visit to check on their mammoth super pig.
But the plucky Mija isnt going to let her porcine playmate go without a fight.
But he doesnt always seem in total control of all of his storys competing tones.
Some sequences work a lot better than others (and some just dont work at all).
No, not by a long shot.
But the moviegoing world is a better place withOkjain it.
Its the antithesis of cookie-cutter, made-by-committee filmmaking.
Prepare to be amazed, grossed out, provoked, punchdrunk, and tickled.
Props to Netflix and all, but if you could, go and see it on a big screen.B
