Idyllic

If Federico Fellini is any guide, one should be prepared for a surreal ride when a statue is carried by helicopter over a European cityscape—in this case, a serene concrete ostrich. After this striking opening homage to La Dolce Vita, we are introduced gradually to an ensemble Dutch family: Annika (Hadewych Minis), a famous opera singer facing a health crisis; her brother Viktor (Eelco Smits) who recently came out as gay in his early 40s; and their wittily cantankerous grandmother Joke (Beppie Melissen), who openly courts the sweet release of death. Mortality also haunts other characters woven throughout the tale, including Timo (Isacco Limper), a 10-year-old boy who is casually informed by a fortune teller that he will die in seven days, and Musa (Nabil Mallat), a morose schoolteacher enduring a potentially career-ending scandal. Despite the melancholic subject matter, director Aaron Rookus wrings wry gallows humor out of the intricate plot, giving each character room to prepare for their expected fates, including one who develops a split personality. With a gorgeous operatic score and fluid cinematography by Emo Weemhoff, Idyllic is a moody, absorbing meditation on regrets, missed opportunities, and finding meaning within the random cards we are dealt.

—Randy Woods

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