In Cannes, last May, Ruben Ostlund entrusted 20 minutes that he was ready to receive a second Palme d’or after that of The Square in 2018. Bingo! That’s what happened to Without filter, rewarded by the jury of Vincent Lindon. The story does not say if the filmmaker actually placed the trophy in his son’s room as he had promised. But it is certain that the Swedish filmmaker has joined other big names in the 7th Art such as Ken Loach, the Dardenne brothers, Michael Haneke, Emir Kusturica, Billie August, Shohei Imamura and Francis Ford Coppola in the firmament of “double webbed”.
“I’m worth it”, confided the director with humor after the press conference. This fierce comedy about human relations in high society follows a couple of influencers (played by Harris Dickinson and the late Charlbi Dean) aboard a cruise ship where the passengers will soon no longer have fun with the everything. We can even say that the laughter of the spectators will crescendo while misfortunes fall on the customers of the luxurious ship until it sinks into delirium.
Manhandle the heroes and shake the public
“I pushed the cork as far as possible to shake the public, recognizes Ruben Ostlund. I start the film in a heavenly setting where everyone could wish to find themselves, then I tilt it towards the nightmare. The over-indulged travelers and the exploited crew will discover what they are capable of when the power plays are reversed to adapt to extreme conditions. Ruben Ostlund knows how to manhandle his heroes with jubilant cruelty, to the delight of the public.
Optimistic despite everything
“I love showing people who lose face because they don’t know how to handle embarrassing situations,” admits the director, who defines his film as a satire. We have a lot of fun despite a few lengths in front of characters as delirious as a Russian capitalist, an American communist (Woody Harrelson irresistible) and a couple of old Englishmen with deceptive good nature. “I’m talking about money and greed but also about the solidarity that can save the world, insists Ruben Ostlund. Even though Without filter doesn’t always seem like it, I remain very optimistic about the potential of human beings. The end of the film in the form of a question mark leaves a bit skeptical on this last point.