Ate this shit up- 'Bones and All'

 

I caved and purchased the Odeon my Limitless pass that allows you to watch as many films as you want with the membership as there are so many films out at the moment I am excited to see, the first of which being Luca Guadagnino's 'Bones and All' starring the one and only skinny white boy of the late 2010s Timothée Chalamet. Now before I get into reviewing my experience with this film I want to highlight all I knew about this film was that Timothée Chalamet's and Taylor Russel's fall in love, plus there is some cannibalism. I'd seen no trailer, no age rating and had no idea who the cannibals were; just the occasional still of the film looking all pretty and romantic. I honestly think that was the best way to view the film. 

Go in blind and take it all in... much like they did in the film.

First thing I can say about this film is I haven't watch a film and felt so many things so intensely afterwards. The content of the film combined the most disturbing acts with the most raw (no pun intended) romantic jounrey between the young lost lovers on-the-road. Simply that's what the film boiled down to, out laws on the run who fall in love, yet this film definitely added in a twist not explored by many films I've seen before! Combining dark, disturbing character details within this love story really was a perfect example of the word juxtaposition, one I used to love dumping in any book analysis I had to write in school. But this film really does it well, flashing between wide shots of the isolated southeastern USA landscape and the blood covered characters who are well and truly satisfied. I particularly enjoyed the way the film did this in the final edge of the seat (and in my case teary eyed) scene, flicking between Lee and Maren's shared books or bedside table and an ending I'm going to struggle to write anything about, so I won't. Luca Guadagnino is a mater of scattering beautiful shots of live in and amongst his films, very 'Call Me by Your Name' of him.

Now this film was rated an 18 minimum age classification, makes sense. I've never been one who shies aware from gore, bloody just doesn't do anything for me disgust wise as I know it isn't real however I was sat in the dark cinema with a brick in my stomach because of it; 'Bones and All' is truly a vegetarians worst nightmare. Sound of flesh being ripped from the flesh of another human by the blood soaked faces of these some what likeable protagonist eaters was purely animalistic. Guadagnino spares the viewer from watching the outcome of each eaters visceral impulses, flashing photographs of the elderly woman's holidays and loved ones. Similarly at another point during the film photographs of Lee as a child playing dress up was shown, the use of photographic evidence of each characters history was a clear motif in the film; highlighting the humanity in both the victims and the eaters.

A clear theme in this film was morals. Maren struggles to understand her own morals, judging Sully's victim trophies in his sick hair skipping rope and Lee soon after their meeting for his choice in meal. Yet she is one of them, she needs to eat. Throughout this film you observe the conscious struggle she has to understand who and what she is, whilst as a viewer we struggle to dislike both her and Lee. How has this film made me feel so happy and then so so sad for two cannibals. This fucked up sense of sympathy is nothing but intense.

The quality of the performances was key for this and in this film were excellent. Every single member of the cast offered a performance so perfect and so real every interaction, every shot was felt through the screen. The dynamic between Maren and Lee was addicting to watch, feeling yourself as a viewer almost routing for the young lovers to find each other. As they drive across country and encounter the creepy fellow 'eater' Sully the tension is palpable- his performance similar to that of Anthony Hopkins in the classic 'Silence of the Lambs' in the sense that motherfucker is creepy. 

I certainly won't be re-watching 'Bones and All' again for a while, and highly doubt I will be recommending to many friends or family- but this is no indication for my enjoyment of the film. 

I eat this shit up.

Evie 01 December 2022