“Not quite confident enough to embrace the genre elements that desperately want to break out in many places, but still a well-staged drama that tries to look behind the facade”
There are people who live by the principle: If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. This is the dilemma faced by the protagonist in moonthe third directorial film by Kurdwin Ayub, tells the story of a faded MMA fighter who is recruited by a seemingly nice family in Jordan to help her three daughters with their martial arts training. The offer is extremely tempting, despite the clear signs that something is wrong, which becomes more and more apparent the more she inserts herself into the lives of these people and uncovers some sinister secrets lurking just out of sight. A disturbing drama in which Ayub, in what we can consider a spiritual companion to her previous film, Suntells a story that mixes social commentary, cultural discourse and issues surrounding contemporary femininity to create an unusual work that challenges and provokes in ways that are difficult to predict, and proves to be genuinely surprising in the way it creates something truly unforgettable out of the fabric of a story that would otherwise be considered far too heavy-handed to have a lasting impact. A fascinating voice in contemporary cinema that seems intent on reconfiguring many conventional representations of almost any subject it decides to explore, Ayub creates a rather daring work in the form of moonwith multiple layers that seem impenetrable at first, but gradually and methodically reveal their inner secrets in a truly captivating way, offering us unique insights into the story and structure.
moon is a film that draws the viewer in without initially making it clear where it’s going. The process of uncovering the secrets hidden behind this seemingly simple plot is part of the experience. At first, it seems to be a relatively conventional, gritty social realist drama – a European fighter past her prime stumbles upon an intriguing opportunity and takes it without hesitation, but this turns out to be a pretty poor choice considering what she’ll soon find out about the family she’ll be working for. This moment, where the film goes from being a mere story of culture clash – likely drawn from the director’s own observations as someone with a background in both Iraq and Austria – to something far more sinister, is fascinating, as it hides something far deeper and more insidious than immediately captures our attention. Ayub takes a very critical look at the subject of gender – she is not interested in the discourse of difference like some of her contemporaries, but rather in how these women function in societies where they are objectified, albeit in very different ways. It is not so much about commercialising femininity as it is about controlling and restricting it, and through this fascinating but disturbing story highlighting these themes, we begin to see the cracks in the façade of beauty and fragility that supposedly drive these beliefs.
Ayub is certainly taking some bold steps with moonand not all of them are actually effective. Ambition is a useful commodity, and it’s certainly not wasted in this film, but sometimes it doesn’t come across as clearly in practice as it does in theory, particularly in the way it mixes the narrative and tone, which start to deviate just when the film really gets going, and often doesn’t feel entirely purposeful. There’s a certain quality to this film that doesn’t quite fit with the rest, which is mostly the result of a story that’s less driven by specifics and more by an overarching atmosphere that becomes a priority as the film progresses. A moody, dense psychological thriller based on cultural differences sounds intriguing in theory, but when it comes to putting it into practice, we start to notice some minor inconsistencies that detract from the core of an otherwise very effective film, and make it a little less than perfect in certain sections. The character development and ultimate motivations behind certain decisions are a little weak compared to its immense potential, and the climaxes may be exciting in the moment but lose momentum and end abruptly, which may have been intentional (as the protagonist is allowed to just leave despite knowing about the family’s dark past) but still detracts from a film that had a lot of promise. It does manage to offer strengths in other areas, though – the performances are excellent across the board, particularly that of Florentina Holzinger as the fighter-turned-trainer whose slow descent into paranoia forms the basis of the film, and the overall tone inspires curiosity as we try to peel back the layers that make up this unusual but fascinating film.
Some of the subtexts in moon be somewhat questionable – such as the final scene in which the protagonist appears to have a nervous breakdown and sings “S&M” by Rihanna, an anthem to female empowerment that prominently features the words “whips and chains,” a very obvious reference to those who notice. However, these elements suggest a certain intrigue simmering beneath the surface, which helps the film establish a clear set of ideas that are simultaneously intimate and expansive. It may not go quite into the depths of the culture clash between the characters, but we soon realize that the idea of this film revolving around a story of someone navigating unfamiliar territory and the conventions that come with it was just a ploy to draw us in, as it switches gears halfway through and becomes something much more brooding. This will likely appeal to those looking for a more unconventional look at some of these themes. Not quite confident enough to embrace the genre elements that desperately want to break out in many places, but still a well-directed drama that tries to look behind the facade to offer something unique. moon is a strong offering that challenges itself to be different and achieves a kind of complexity that takes it to a higher level and allows it to overcome the small flaws through sheer audacity and the desire to look at a general topic through the most tailored lens possible.
