Directed by Pablo Larraín | 2015 | Chile | Fiction | 98 mins
Grand Jury Prize, Berlinale
Film Source: Musicbox
The Club, Chile’s official submission to this year’s Oscars, finds director Pablo Larraín (Post Mortem; No) at his most masterful, steering the picture through complex tonal shifts without letting it capsize into hysteria, even when the characters do. The “club” in the title refers to a kind of clandestine retirement home for scandal-plagued priests, quietly put out of sight (and mind) of the Vatican. Don’t be put off by the subject matter: This is an original and brilliantly acted chamber drama with every scene composed, choreographed and lit in an unforgettable way. Despite the dark setting, humor filters through and the dramatic tension never subsides. The Club is unforgettable.