Storyline
Christian is the respected curator of a contemporary art museum, 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 invites passersby to altruism, reminding them of their role as responsible fellow human beings. But sometimes, it is difficult to live up to your own ideals: Christian's foolish response to the theft of his phone drags him into shameful situations. Meanwhile, the museum's PR agency has created an unexpected campaign for "The Square". The response is overblown and sends Christian, as well as the museum, into an existential crisis.
Cast: Claes Bang -
Christian
Elisabeth Moss -
Anne
Dominic West -
Julian
Terry Notary -
Oleg
Christopher Læssø -
Michael
Marina Schiptjenko -
Elijandro Edouard -
Daniel Hallberg -
Martin Sööder -
Sofie Hamilton -
Robber
Linda Anborg -
Linda, red carpet
Emelie Beckius -
Businesswoman
Peter Diaz -
Gallery guest
Sarah Giercksky -
Extra
Kolya Hardy -
The Coach
Opening Weekend: NOK 406,148
(Norway)
(1 October 2017)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
In the film there is a monkey seemingly busy creating art. This refers to an old practical joke. An alleged self-taught French avant-garde artist, Pierre Brassau, appeared at an art exhibition in Gothenburg in 1964. A series of art connoisseurs were tricked by this intentional experiment. It was the chimpanzee Peter from Borås Zoo that had created the "spontanist painting", and the brain behind it was a gallerist and a journalist who were reported to be a police officer for fraud. See more »
Goofs:
During the press conference, the time displayed on Christian's LCD watch is clearly visible and jumps from 14:53 to 15:50 when we cut to a participant who asks a very short question. See more »
Quotes:
User Review
Author:
Rating: 8/10
This is a hard film to describe and an even harder film to review but
I'm going to try my best to express how I felt about it.
In an attempt to put it simply, The Square follows a modern art museum
curator named Christian (played by Claes Bang), and some increasingly
strange experiences which shape his views and understandings of the
world he lives in and the people around him.
I had the chance to see this film on opening night at the New Zealand
International Film Festival, and I am so glad I did. The Square plays
like an increasingly bizarre farce, and while the film is indeed very
funny (sometimes in shocking ways) it provides a consistently
fascinating look at our behavior as people in society. Now I realize
that isn't necessarily innovative for a film in 2017, but The Square
dares to pose increasingly uncomfortable questions to its audience.
From the inherent narcissism of even the most ordinary of people, to
the shallowness of popular culture, to the complex behaviors and
interactions between people of disparate backgrounds. Again, these
ideas are not necessarily novel, but the film presents them in a way
that is consistently entertaining - even when certain exchanges on-
screen are uncomfortable. There is a scene that takes place at a
gathering of elite artists and sponsors that is as squirm-inducing as
anything I've seen all year.
I would warn that this is not a film for everyone. The pacing is
uneven, the structure is unusual, and there isn't a whole lot of
forward momentum to propel the film forward. But, if you are willing to
meet the film halfway, I think you're in for a fascinating, shocking,
hilarious and uncomfortable (skewered) mirror into the society we live
in.
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