Movie: The Lure
My Rating: 3 stars
The world has become a pretty small place, what with the internet connecting people from all over the globe. And, that means that means that a certain amount of our media and entertainment has become pretty homogenized. We all drink the same coffee now, wear the same fashions, and watch the same Hollywood blockbusters. But, every now and then, a bizarre treasure like this movie comes along, and demonstrates to us that other cultural ideas and aesthetics are still alive and kicking out there. This movie is a small Polish production, and it is truly strange.
This is a story about two mermaid sisters, Silver and Golden, who decide to come ashore in Warsaw, Poland to kill a little time living amongst humans. They’re not necessarily Polish mermaids. But, they explain to us that they’ve learned the language by loitering on the beach, and listening to tourists. It makes total sense. The movie is set in a semi-fictional world where the existence of legendary creatures is acknowledged and expected. Or maybe Polish people kinda do believe in mythical beasts? Of course, your average person won’t run into a mermaid, or Poseidon, or a succubus every day. It’s still a remarkable event when a person meets one. But, no one in this story is surprised by the mermaids’ existence.
And, our sisters are using their unique talents to their advantage on dry land. There are many important or lucrative things that real mermaids could do in the world to make their fortunes—contributing to science, specialized spy work, celebrity meet-and-greets. And our girls have chosen . . . performing in a sleazy cabaret. That’s right. These extraordinary, unique creatures are peddling their wares topless, and lounging in a giant martini glass. But hey, it makes it easy for the girls to meet men that they can lure into dark alleys so that they can devour their hearts and other organs. Because, that’s what mermaids do . . . eat the still warm heart right out of a man’s chest. This movie reads as a sort of dark fairy tale. The story line follows the structure of one of those brutal, old fashioned fables, like Grimm’s. And, it’s just as bloody and sexualized as they can be. The internal logic is dreamy and magical. The stakes are high, and lessons are learned the hard way.
This is a very weird movie, and there aren’t many people I’d recommend it to. But, I definitely would recommend it to the right kind of movie aficionado. You’d have to be the kind of person who likes experimental indie films, or weird foreign ones. This is the kind of movie that I would have gone and seen by myself at one of those independent art house theaters in the 90s. I used to go to the strangest darkest movies. So, if you were one of those weird, film-teens like I was, then this peculiar specimen may just be for you. If not, really steer clear of this one because I don’t want it to ruin our friendship.