Rosebush Pruning

Landing on a Land of Luxe Decay

A film titled Rosebush Pruning is not like your average Sunday afternoon entertainment. It begins with a sun drenched Spanish Villa and flourish that stink of wealth and idleness. There are four siblings, two pairs, who are almost disturbingly close. The opening of the film gives you a sense of the dysfunction of the siblings, and the hedonism that almost looks like performance. You can tell these siblings are so rich they aren't engaged with the world, but their fortune has begun to rot and this film is built on that premise, and the siblings are your entry point into the gilded world with gobs of money. It's a gamble not front loading the movie with thrills and gore, but this movie builds suspense and a sense of proximity with a family system that is unlike anything you will have seen. With a cast Callum Turner, Riley Keough, and Jamie Bell this film has selections that are interesting and have a track record of good performances outside of this bizzare script.

The Binge Test: Style, Substance, and Sticky Situations

With it’s unique rhythm, Rosebush Pruning asks you to commit from the start. Director Karim Aïnouz, weaves comedy, drama, and thriller genres. Sometimes, genre-bending can be a double-edged sword. On the positive side, genres that rarely get mixed can be strategically complimentary, and Aïnouz uses it to great effect, keeping you on your toes. In one scene, you’re laughing your ass off, then you’re hit with a dramatic plot twist, or in dramatic scenes, there may be fast moving thriller background activities. The HD visuals really capture the luxury of the villa and the self-indulgent sibling lives party living with an intentional aesthetic. The sound also adds to the experience, whether it is loud pop music or the underlying quiet tension in their self-obsessed interactions. The film, however, focuses too much on “shallow with style” and as a critic put it, “shallowness” can be “wearying” instead of “joyful” or “energizing.” That can lead to an underwhelming lack of forward progress in the plot in favor of self-indulgent characters. There are places where the pacing is flawed as it focuses too much on “excess” and “brisk” then not enough, especially when Jack’s girlfriend Martha appears, or Ed starts uncovering the true story of their mother’s death. The true end goal of the movie is the unraveling of the family, but connecting with self-absorbed characters is especially difficult.

With a 6 on the audience meter the film's concept and execution captures the imagination of many, but leaves others without a way to appreciate the film in its entirety.

The high critical buzz around these performances has rippled into the festival circuit where this film has become a hot commodity and a film industry must-see. In case it was unclear, this is a huge deal.

Keep or Flip? A Tangled Rosebush

Which of the following is the best parallel to Rosebush Pruning? Live TV or a cricket match edge you to the conclusion? If you think any of the genres/styles present in this would lend themselves to entertainment/adventure/comedy/suspense/etc., then clearly you’ve chosen to flip away. This film’s dark satire, drama, and psychological suspense coupled with it’s slow moving, unlikable characters, tackling inherited privilege and the decadence is not easy entertainment. It’s for the cinema connoisseur who appreciates thoughtful cinema to tackle the dark arts of humankind, and has a distinct style. This film isn’t for the casual viewer thrill seeking shotgun entertainer. If you’re in the mood to study characters cloaked in the riddles of the unexplained and an absurdist dark humor, but most of all a study of wealth joined with extreme isolation, then this is the film. It might also speak to you for how enraging it is, and might evoke a good discussion about the strength in the directing and performances. But it might frustrate people who appreciate their satire with a clearer boundary of what is right or their drama with a more palatable hero. Overall it’s a film worth the discussion and can leave a bitter taste of self indulgence or an admirable hate watch due to it’s audacious vision. It may peacefully fit into your viewing queue for Pikashow, which prides itself on leaving the audience to make their own decisions.