xlon I've seen this movie a few times and each time I'm more troubled and impressed. It appears to be about an independent community, certainly a cult but ALL I see is a rare and brilliant reflection about religions. It may have not been intended this way but this is my perception. I can hear your bashing but I have to say it: central figure demanding total submission from the parishioners, total control of the leader, believe and don't research, ideological excuses for horrific crimes against disobedient parishioners and humans, second rank status for women, lies, fabricated reality, extreme manipulation, polygamy, pure deprivation and no moral standards, etc.The movie show them all in a very subtle but direct way. he casting is amazing. Jeremy's instinctive resilience to the abuse is unique and central to the movie. Movies are supposed to make you feel and think and not offer you on a plate solutions and closure. So-called critics: shush! It may be just my pre-disposition for deeper analysis and thoughts but the link to my reality is so strong and I can't ignore it. On top of my preferences and I've seen thousands (I have a taste for movies that really say something meaningful about the human nature). Be gentle!

FlashCallahan Gregori, who operates a child assassin patriarch, adopts newborn Alexander after seeing his mother, Susanna, without a partner at a hospital. Eleven years later, Alexander is now, unbeknown to him, an adept assassin running missions with other children adopted in the same manner. Gregori tells the children the world is full of terrible men which is why they must carry out their missions, but Alexander becomes more aware of the outside world, and Gregori realises his controlling aura is fading.......Cults are a funny thing, on one hand, they can be a terrifying aspect of life, Waco comes to mind, and the film that tried to emulate that 'Red State'. On the other, they can be as bonkers as they come, like that bloke a few years ago who recruited a few mentally inept people, telling them there was a shuttle behind a comet that would take them to paradise.........there wasn't.But they all have one word in common...........sinister.And this is the reason why the film works in some ways, and in others, it doesn't, because the narrative spoon feeds you the fact that Cassel isn't all what he seems, and he isn't the bohemian saviour the children are led to believe, he's just a business man, plain and simple, and the children are his work tools.But the narrative doesn't focus on Gregori and his school of Leon's and Nikitas, which would make an interesting film on its own, it focuses more on the hierarchy of the children and their relationship with Gregori, as it appears that Alexander was the first addition to Gregori's 'family', as his mother wears almost managerial clothing as compared to the other mothers.Cassel is wonderful as the puppet master who's strings are starting to fray, and his on screen relationship with Alexander is as distressing as it is calming. The audience knows that Alexander is becoming aware of Gregori's domination, and know that Gregori too is aware, making the second and third act very intense.But then, just after the chicken incident, the film loses its way as fast as Gregori loses respect from the family, and it begins to leave a lot of unanswered questions, such as, why did Alexander give Leo the food, and where did Leo and his mother go? Were they killed, sis Alexander subliminally kill them? And what is the purpose of the boy on the hill? An image of realism in Alexander's life?But the stark imagery is mind blowing, and there are some scenes that could almost represent the films genre as horror.An oddity for sure, full of vibrancy and angst, but like a headless chicken, loses its way toward the end.

Paul Evans Vincent Casel plays Gregori, the King and leader of his self created Utopia, made of damaged women and children groomed for a life of crime and control from Gregori. The children are made to commit horrendous crimes, including murder. Gregori considers himself a figure akin to a religious leader, instead he's a spider at the centre of a web. One of his boys 'Alexander' has the mental ability to look beyond Gregori's brainwashing, he begins to question the life he's living and soon starts challenging Gregori. Alexander also has a natural curiosity for life outside the commune, his mind is inquisitive, naturally so at his age. As the film goes on it becomes apparent that Gregori and Alexander will never see eye to eye and the commune will never be big enough for the two.A very intelligent movie, it's one that will make you think and ask do similar events happen in the world. It is a very original movie, I can't think of many similar movies I've seen.The movie is hugely character driven, there are some long dialogues, deliberately there to show the motives and conflicts of Gregori in particular.Some moments where you're not quite sure what's going to happen, Alexander's trip to the shop being one. In my opinion the story is actually very strong, it's all about Gregori creating his own mini world, adding what he wants, and ridding what threatens it.Brilliance from Vincent Cassel, as is often the case, he manages to make Gregori manipulative, powerful and somehow dangerous, he put in an excellent performance.Just Excellent. 9/10

Michael Kerjman Polygamist makes living for his growing family with a call-hit business by growing assassins from the early days of their lives. A few days ago media reported a 41 year old deploying kids-3&8 year old-for stealing bags from under restaurant tables. Did she watch this work? Or, did producers know such stuff in a reality prior to making a film? Actors play well and Alexander's subversive behavior is rather something inspired by Prometeus story rather than by a real life: outside Australia gypsies live and they mostly change places anyway. Do young Bedouins fight their tribe to settle somewhere in Saudi Arabia or follow a tradition? Newertheless any deep idea underlying, murderer is a murderer and his kid-killer business is awful deed, by screening to make a propaganda of.