Big Bad Wolves

Glib Reviews of Vaguely New Release DVDs

Big Bad Wolves

- Directed by Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado

This film was heavily hyped to me by  a customer, and others who have seen it. Weirdly, they used Reservoir Dogs as their touchstone. It really has very little in common with Tarantino’s first flick, other than people getting tortured in chairs, not to spoil it too much. 

That said, it is an engaging, suspenseful film, that gives you some empathy with all main characters, even the ones you know you shouldn’t feel any empathy for. It’s far more about how far a person will go to get the truth (or 'a truth') out of another person. Some obvious political overtones, of course simply with this being an Israeli film. 

There is lots of outrage to go around, as a suspended cop, and a dead girl’s father stalk the man they ‘KNOW’ did it. There are lots of creepy torture scenes, none of which show the torture, as much as they make you feel it; as the film makers make the more grown up choice of showing the ‘victim’s’ reaction, or another character’s reaction to the violence, as it happens. Suspense is much tauter when this choice is made; otherwise, in my opinion, there is no suspense, only tension and being grossed out in pictures that go for just the visceral.

The outcome is a bit of a foregone conclusion, but not in a bad way, narrative wise, as the story unfolds in an interesting way, and ends on a very strong note, so there is little confusion in the end as to who did what, that is, if you are paying attention. It ends quickly, at just the right moment.

The acting is better than the script, and the editing is better than the camera, and it’s a solid creepy suspense, but it’s no Reservoir Dogs, which  to my mind is a good thing... I also like Reservoir Dogs, but for very different reasons.

7.25676 Creepy Bible studies teachers watching little girls practice ballet while arguing with his ex, outta 10