London Film Festival Day 2: Moonlight, A Monster Calls, Christine & More
1. Zoology
In this Russian tragicomedy, middle-aged zoo worker Natasha (Natalya Pavlenkova) miraculously grows a tail, and as gossip quickly spreads throughout the town, she becomes a pariah from all but her mother and Peter (Dmitriy Groshev), a radiologist who examines her.
This movie's greatest strength is in playing its premise completely straight with a brilliant poker face: writer-director Ivan I. Tverdovskiy certainly emphasises the dark comedic elements of the story, but never once elevates the scenario to mystical or supernatural levels.
As such, it's far more relatable as a human drama about prejudice and small-town small-mindedness, while Pavlenkova gives a terrific performance as the beleaguered middle-aged woman at front and center.
It smartly keeps to a lean 83 minutes allowing for maximum impact. Yes, this movie about a woman growing a tail somehow manages to be oddly affecting, without once deigning to overt sentiment.
Rating: Though it may be too understated for some tastes, Zoology is a wryly funny, well-acted take on a potentially daft premise. 6/10