This year’s Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, Ruben Ostlund pushes his unique brand of cinema one step further with “The Square.” The director rose to international prominence thanks to “Force Majeur,” and his latest effort keeps him in the provocative spotlight.
READ MORE: Ruben Östlund’s Smart, Sharp, Deliciously Uncomfortable ‘The Square’ [Cannes Review]
Starring Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West and Terry Notary, the film skewers the art world, marketing, the media, militant political correctness, and more, but don’t laugh along too closely because you might be next target. Here’s the official synopsis:
THE SQUARE stars Claes Bang as Christian, the respected chief curator of a prestigious contemporary art museum. Tall and impeccable, he is a divorced but devoted father of two who drives an electric car and supports good causes. His next show is “The Square”, an installation which serves as a symbol of the basic social contract – a literal square which reminds us of our roles as responsible fellow human beings. But when Christian’s phone and wallet are stolen, his foolish response tests this notion and drags him into a series of shameful and hilarious situations. Meanwhile, the museum’s PR agency has created an unexpected campaign for “The Square,” to which the response is overblown, which sends Christian, as well as the museum, into an existential crisis. With stunning set pieces featuring Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale) as a journalist with whom Christian becomes entangled, Dominic West (“The Affair”) as a famous artist whose patience is continually tested, and motion capture actor Terry Notary (WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES) as a performance artist frighteningly committed to his craft, THE SQUARE is a riotous piece of high-wire sociological suspense.
Sweden’s official entry for the Foreign Language Film Oscar, “The Square” opens on October 27th. Check out our exclusive clip below.