Mise à mort du cerf sacré

C'était ennuyeux d'être tous des cinéastes normaux A. Perturbation du monde froid et parfaitement rationnel par une force irrationnelle, un démon impuissant à être vaincu. Pas une folie intellectuelle comme The Lobster, plus attrayant en termes de contenu, essentiellement un genre pour les plus exigeants. Mais unique par sa réalisation. Hypnotiquement lent, brillamment tourné, musicalement terrifiant à la manière de Herrmann. Émotionnellement mesuré et diaboliquement cruel en même temps. Farrell est un caméléon, Kidman est traditionnellement parfaite. Tant en tant qu'acteurs qu'en lingerie. Et le jeune diable irlandais Keoghan se dessine! [Cannes] (26/05/2017)

Saw for intellectuals. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a cruel, disturbing and, in filmmaking terms, precise morality tale and perhaps even class satire (rich people destroy the lives of the poor and refuse to accept responsibility for it), but I found its second half to be monotonous in terms of both the characters’ suffering and style (slow dolly shots, overhead shots, close-ups of faces, unpleasant atonal music, over and over again). I understand that the mechanical nature of the structure and the acting is part of the director’s malevolent concept (forget about gradation or catharsis), but it deprives the film of dramatic tension and gives the impression that it doesn’t develop along with the characters, while also weakening the message. I didn’t get the impression that the film had anything else to say after the central dilemma had been revealed (which was possibly why Mirka Spáčilová providentially left the press screening after the scene in which Farrell forces a donut on his son). Instead, it distances itself from reality and thus diminishes the power of its message. The similarity to Kubrick or Haneke is mainly external, not in the effect that the film has on the viewer. 70% (30/10/2017)

After his weird period, Lanthimos activated internal Greek fate and combined residential horror and ancient tragedy with Efthymis Filippou. A camera that hovers over the heroes like a vicious threat, unmistakably mechanical acting, demonic Barry Keoghan and a morally borderline second half that is the cruelest (and least satirical) of all Lanthimos's films. What used to come from within strange communities is now incomprehensibly imposed on the heroes from above. The unraveling and meaning of this brutal clinical version of Sophie's Choice will probably be discussed at length - the fact remains that the tone and depressing atmosphere make The Killing of a Sacred Deer a real horror. Trier with an acute attack of sociopathy. (27/05/2017)

The end of the year is approaching and soon I'll be sharing my top picks, which will definitely include the oddity called The Killing of a Sacred Deer. The film is definitely not for everyone and is similarly controversial to the recent Mother!, but Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos definitely has talent (his previous films Dogtooth and The Lobster are also weird). The film is very disturbing from the start and we get the sense that something is not right. The dialogue and the actors' strangely theatrical speech is already odd but effective, and from the main twist onwards the film takes a decent turn and at times is not pleasant to watch. If you have kids you'll sympathise with the main character even more. Anxiety, unease, chills, breathtaking moments, impressive performances, bold dialogue and decent technical aspects make The Killing of a Sacred Deer a unique affair that despite its artsy form surprisingly suited and entertained me a lot. For me, a great recommendation, but I can understand the negative reviews. Naked Nicole Kidman is still gorgeous. 80%. (25/12/2017)

Blah, blah, blah... Kubrick, Haneke, and their illegitimate son von Trier had an accident and this was born. Kidman and Colin had to be in there. And someone claimed that the whole thing was classic Iphigenia. (10/10/2017)

Un film merveilleusement et drôlement étrange, qui plaira particulièrement aux amateurs d'humour très noir et de films originaux avec une intrigue décalée. Et pour ceux qui ont déjà eu le plaisir de découvrir Lanthimos, c'est tout simplement une autre de ses œuvres satiriques originales et imaginatives sur la société humaine, régie par des règles absurdes et des habitudes culturelles comiquement glaciales, que leur créateur n'a cependant pas besoin d'expliquer de quelque manière que ce soit. Un art bizarre, jusqu'à présent (pour moi) le meilleur de la filmographie de Lanthimos. (02/11/2017)

I first came across Yorgos Lanthimos's work through The Favourite, and since I was intrigued by his distinctive (and somewhat twisted) directorial style, I decided to watch one of his earlier pieces. In terms of building up an uncomfortable atmosphere and the truly unnatural direction of the actors and odd camera amgñes, The Killing of a Sacred Deer highlights the director's unique aesthetic. However, while I didn't mind this style with The Favourite, and in fact found it suited to the historically distant time period, I wasn't as hooked in the case of Deer. The film builds on a very bizarre plot, which on the one hand feels offbeat and creepy, but on the other is just too weird for my taste. Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell give convincing and strong performances, but in the case of the child actors I have to be critical, especially because of the robotic (which may have been the point) acting of Raffey Cassidy. Barry Keoghan is a chapter unto himself. I first saw him in Dunkirk and found him incredibly unlikeable, and I was seriously indifferent to his fate. I also found him unlikeable here, but in this case it added to a deeper appreciation of his character. The final ten minutes were very powerful and uncomfortable to watch, no question about it. The film is somewhere between two and three stars for me. I'll give it a thumbs up for now, but it's quite possible that I'll reconsider my opinion in time. (25/04/2020)

Au début, j’avais l’impression de regarder un genre de tragicomédie bizarre voire à la masse. Mais ensuite, le film a vraiment démarré pour nous servir un bon psychothriller construit sur un scénario de qualité et un jeu d’acteurs convaincant. Colin et Nicole sont certes des valeurs sûres, mais ce sont surtout les jeunes talents qui ont surpris, étant donné que la matière n’était pas évidente. Un concept intéressant, une exécution très correcte, une fin décente. Dans l’ensemble, l’impression est très positive. Et quand j’ai réalisé que la casquette de réalisateur était portée par ce même Grec qui m’avait déçu avec son délire sur le homard, je ne peux que constater une amélioration de taille avec sa psychose et son cerf. (13/01/2019)

The Killing of a Sacred Deer has a very strong denouement that is simply great. It's disgusting, it's ugly, some people won't even want to watch it, but the script has put the characters in that state really well. This is not violence for violence's sake, but it's important in terms of the story. So even though Lanthimos' visuals are a bit repetitive, he still manages to wow the viewer. (16/03/2018)

Yorgos Lanthimos shrewdly uses very modest means (with a modest budget) to create a hypnotic yet quite tense atmosphere. In fact, he makes ample use of distant and seemingly detached long camera shots and a musical motif that burrows under the skin and is a terrified jumble of a few simple sounds. The ambivalent presentation of Martin's character adds to the clearly hard-to-define (but very effective) atmosphere. At first glance, he looks and acts like a nice and innocent boy, while in reality he represents an evil similar to "that nice and innocent Damien" from The Omen. (07/02/2019)

What drew me to watch the film was the cast. The bearded Colin Farrell was almost unrecognizable, only his eyes gave him away, and Nicole Kidman appeared slightly older, although her youthful charm couldn't be denied. It is the story of a cardiac surgeon who made a mistake during an operation in the past, which led to the death of a patient, whose son is now seeking revenge. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. However, you have the option to choose: sacrifice one of your children or your wife for the death of my father. Although it was somewhat cold and emotionally devoid in terms of acting, it was brilliantly filmed. I was fascinated by the eerily disturbing music that crept through the plot and greatly enhanced the depressing mood of the film. Barry Keoghan, playing the vengeful teenage son, portrayed his role so repulsively that I swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. (75%) (11/03/2020)