When one contemplates the amount of Oscar talent associated with The Son, the result can’t be considered anything less than a disappointment.

Cate Blanchett’s inhabitation of Lydia is complete and the movie’s presentation of her life is exacting in every detail; the result is nothing short of mesmerizing.

Suffused with hypnotic visuals and anchored by a tremendous performance by Idris Elba, the movie takes its cues from the fantasy workings of Guillermo del Toro and is only occasionally found wanting.

Although this features high wattage stars, it represents a curiously anachronistic attempt at escapist fare.

Although relying on some of the alchemy that made the formula successful in 1986, the film’s awareness of cultural shifts makes for a more complete cinematic experience.

Although there’s probably never a minute that goes by without some kind of barb being tossed, Ostlund reserves his sharpest daggers for illustrating how utterly out-of-touch the ultra-rich are.