Review by
Blair MacBride
Directed by: Jerzy Skolimowski
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Lorenzo Zurzolo, Sandra Drzymalska, Mateusz Kościukiewicz
Nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards,
EO is a gritty tale of a donkey's journey across modern
Europe.
The film is centred around "EO" and his interactions with the good, the
bad, and the ugly of humankind. Initially, we find him trapped in a cruel
existence as a circus donkey. But as the film progresses, EO is
fortuitously freed from the shackles of forced performance, and embarks
upon a roaming expedition across the continent, encountering all sorts of
personalities along the way.
Ever the docile onlooker, EO takes in the world around him in a
particularly poignant yet relaxed way. The audience experiences this
perspective with him as we see events unfold through the eyes of this
gentle-natured creature, and the film displays a never ending cycle of
EO's encounters: some treat the animal like a much-loved pet, but others
serve wicked violence upon him. This leads us to question who really are
the "beasts" in this world, undoubtedly one of this project's key
messages.
As such, EO deals with the important theme of animal
cruelty, and often shows a literal seeing eye into the suffering some
animals are made to endure. The specific use of a grainy fish-eye lens (or
a donkey-eye lens in this case) provides a real insight into the senses of
the creature, and thus gives the film a likeable grittiness - director
Jerzy Skolimowski's vision of creating such a stark representation
of that cruelty really hits home.
While good in some ways, though, EO is equally irritating in
others. The director himself once stated that he's "not afraid to wander
away from direct narrative" and boy ain't that the truth in his latest
cinematic venture. EO lacks a clear structure and is
consistently outlandish in its sequencing. These particular faux pas
really affect the film's palatableness, to the point where it's impossible
to truly invest beyond anything other than recognising the obvious
awfulness of animal abuse.
Indeed, it's all just a little too much: the telepathic communication
between donkey and circus trainer; the absurd, constant journey to random
locations at which EO somehow ends up without any explanation; the bizarre
and freakish scene transitions that make little to no sense. Although the
movie works in demonstrating the relentlessness of EO's sad existence, it
makes for a frustrating viewing experience at the same time.
Ultimately, it's clear that Skolimowski's EO is designed to
be a stripped back portrayal, and if this feature's sole mission is to be
an awareness piece on animal cruelty, it does it quite well. But from
another perspective, that, in itself, is its own undoing. With its subpar
story development and downright annoying sequencing, this jarring film
offers little else.
EO is on UK/ROI VOD now.
