Okja, 2017.
Directed by Joon-ho Bong.
Starring Seo-Hyun Ahn, Hee-Bong Byun, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Jake Gyllenhaal, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Je-mun Yun, Shirley Henderson, Daniel Henshall, Devon Bostick, and Giancarlo Esposito.
SYNOPSIS:
Meet Mija, a young girl who risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend – a massive animal named Okja.
Not only is Okja the latest charmingly warped, socially relevant concoction from one of the most exciting working directors today Joon-ho Bong (Snowpiercer), it’s also a call to arms regarding abusive practices toward animals in the meat industry, and something of a calling card for animal-rights activists across the globe. Okja isn’t just merely exceptional filmmaking that intelligently juggles tones ranging from Disney fable, action epic, scathing social commentary, black humor, international storytelling, and an examination of corporate greed (which on paper sounds like it would translate to an absolute mess in execution), as the focused result is a towering accomplishment that could potentially change people’s outlooks on flesh consumption.
Joon-ho Bong is also aware of avoiding preachy material, opting to fill Okja with idiosyncratic personalities that serve a greater purpose with their inherent zaniness. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a fading TV celebrity/zoologist named Johnny Wilcox tasked with being the promotional face of Mirando Corporation’s world hunger-solving genetically mutated super pig experiment run by Lucy (Tilda Swinton also pulling double duty as the twin sister of the CEO) where 26 of the game-changing species (specifically, only the prettiest ones to avoid negative mainstream publicity) are sent to farmers across the country with the competitive goal of raising each beast to be the very best, or as coldhearted Lucy puts it, “to taste really fucking good”.
Now, corporate greed isn’t exactly a refreshing concept in cinema, but doing so from the backdrop of a downright sickening depiction of the meat industry offers a new outlook. The fact that Joon-ho Bong can also have fun with the project, as evident from Gyllenhaal’s squeaky-voiced (he sounds similar to Towlie on South Park), mad-scientist looking, false animal lover brings another layer of madness to this whacked out experience. His first words in the movie is an over-the-top bitching speech about how he had to climb a hill out in Korea to reach their super pig, the titular Okja. If I could I would give Jake Gyllenhaal every supporting actor award in the world possible for this scenery-chewing, deliriously entertaining performance. Essentially, he’s that one friend vegans have who claim they love animals probably while torturing a poor innocent creature in the same breath.
Okay, I have to stop myself from talking about the madcap brilliance of Jake Gyllenhaal otherwise I will for another 3,000 words, so the other key ingredient for Okja‘s success is just how damn adorable the pig-sized elephant is (just look at those floppy ears!), alongside the bond she shares with young Mija (Seo-Hyun Ahn). Joon widely spends the entire first act exploring the link of trust and friendship between a girl and her pet giant-pig, so that when the inevitable separation occurs (her grandfather willingly parts with the pig so it can be taken off to the public unveiling and then the meat factory), great sadness is felt. Mija’s one track minded courage is palpable (kudos to Seo-Hyun for a strong and determined turn) as she travels all the way to America to be reunited. There is also an incredible chase sequence along the way which introduces a third party to the narrative, the Animal Liberation Front led by Paul Dano’s activist group leader J. Also, a certain popular John Denver tune is utilized during the chaos; it’s one of the most maddeningly creative sequences all year.
Furthermore, the addition of this radical animal rights group also allows Joon-ho Bong to insert some riffing on the nature of similar groups, as its members (made up of a number of notable actors including The Walking Dead‘s Steven Yeun and Lily Collins) often have different visions for how to take action. Still, the group is relatively held together by J and make a righteous difference for the fate of Okja. The small moments of bickering all help the other actors stand out a little bit more as it’s Paul Dano who receives the juicy material, delivering an appalled cause-concentrated performance.
Okja is arguably as close to a flawless movie as one can get. The only small nitpick is that the family drama between owners of the Mirando Corporation feels superfluous and forgettable (did we really need two Tilda Swintons), but that’s it. Joon-ho Bong has created a film unlike anything currently out there, often containing scenes where viewers will both laugh and be horrified in the same scene. The ending is a bittersweet one that should hopefully wake the unknown up to atrocities being committed within the meat industry. Finally, it’s simply a genuinely touching story about the power of friendship capable between human and animal. Oh, and don’t forget Jake Gyllenhaal deserves an Oscar.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder – Chief Film Critic of Flickering Myth. Check here for new reviews weekly, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
