MIFF NOTES: Evolution (2015, Dir. Lucile Hadžihalilović)

I haven't read much Margaret Atwood, but even the scant selection I have leads me to believe Evolution's director, Lucile Hadžihalilović, is a fan. I have images of her devouring 'The Handmaid's Tale' and 'Oryx and Crake', washing it down with some early Cronenberg body horror, before desserting on Glazer's Under the Skin.

Her film is almost all mood. What's not mood (a slenderly conceived dystopian gender role repositioning) is treated as a suitable end point for the film's narrative. Though interestingly handled, that end point is apparent reasonably early on. And while this doesn't necessarily cut through the menace, which hangs thick about the film, it may leave some wondering if it was worth the effort.

Beautifully shot. Well performed. Just a little inert.

★★★

Trailer:

Evolution screened as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival 2016.

You can check out other films from the festival here.