Monday 24 October 2016

Zoology review: A tail of individuality in oppressive Russia

Zoology trailer

AUSTIN, Texas—At the genre mecca that is Fantastic Fest, a film about a half-human, half-animal hybrid isn't unusual (see Nova Seed for one example). But Ivan Tverdovsky's Zoology is not straightforward sci-fi. This Russian feature mashes together hyper-realism, a totalitarian society, and midlife self-discovery into a strangely appealing bizarro version of How Stella Got Her Groove Back. If the premise sounds as odd as Anne Hathaway's kaiju movie, it is. But this festival award winner ("Next Wave" Features, first place) is every bit as fun and surprising as Colossal.

If I had a tail...

Natasha works a seemingly routine job in acquisitions at a Russian zoo. At 55-years-old, she's settled into a comfortable routine that she isn't interesting in changing. Keeping in line with the customs of her coastal town, Natasha lives with her aging mother, wears ankle-length skirts and skin-covering sweaters, and generally speaks only when spoken to (which appears to only happen in work meetings and over dinner with Mom).

One day at the office, Natasha faints. Soon after, she's shown (rather artfully) vomiting in the bathroom. Doctors initially give Natasha painkillers for asthenia (extreme physical weakness), but they want to do some follow-ups. Not even office gossip can put a finger on the issue. "Maybe she's pregnant?" one woman suggests over lunch. "Who's the father, then?" says another. "I've never seen her with a man."

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