【TIFF16】Into the Savage Region: The Untamed

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The Untamed is one of those rare films that keeps you fully engaged from the first minute to the last, and it is even rarer in that this is accomplished without resorting to cheap tricks. A mysterious tentacled euphoric orgasm giving monster, a girl equally parts enigma and charisma that thinks of herself as its lover, a trouble couple containing a closeted husband cheating on his wife with her brother and a sexually frustrated wife -- the individual parts may seem a tad too familiar, almost cliche, but they are combined in a skillful way that continuously makes the viewer second-guess their foreshadowing instincts.

Angel is cheating on his wife, Ale, with his brother-in-law, Fabian. Although you wouldn't guess it (or you would) by his uber-"macho" stance regarding homosexuality. Fabian is tired of the unhealthy liaison, and finds the strength to break up after his new friend, Veronica, introduces him to the mysterious, tentacled being that was her lover. But things begin to spin out of control when Fabian is found in a coma, bludgeoned and bearing signs of sexual trauma. Ale discovers Angel's lewd text messages on Fabian's phone, and she reports him. Angel is arrested, and meanwhile, Veronica brings Ale to the thing. Veronica, of course, becomes hooked as well.

According to the scientist that studies the thing and keeps it in his shed, it came down to Earth with a comet, and is the essence of the sexual drive. In a very memorable -- probably the visual centerpiece of the entire film -- we are shown the crater that its arrival had created, now writhing with coupling wildlife. This frank portrayal of physical bodies and sexuality is a theme that runs throughout the film. The opening shot is of Veronica's full frontal nude orgasm, and all of the four main actors spend a significant portion of their screen time unclothed. The nudity is matter of fact, unashamed, and quite in keeping with the gradual liberation of desire that pervades throughout the entire film. The cinematography echoes this as well, favouring steady takes of close-ups with the characters perfectly centred -- many conversations feature only one participant on the screen, and the camera's gaze never wavers. And perhaps it is due to this intimate camerawork that though there is minimal effort to flesh out the characters, combined with subdued with naturalistic acting in all the cast, the characters are quite convincing.

There is rich subtext in The Untamed should one choose to dig in and explore, but the narrative itself is enough to grip the viewer from beginner to end. There is just enough explanations within the script to satisfy those who must have certainty, and never so much that it becomes didactic. All in all, an arresting film.