Okja

Netflix has revolutionized the film distribution model. I am somewhat astounded, as well as pleased, that prestige films can be viewed in my home, at the time of release, without me getting out of bed. This isn't good news for the movie theater business, although they have made attempts to counter this by adding reclining seats, and in some theaters here in Las Vegas, allowing the purchase of alcohol.

It used to be that made-for-cable movies were the province of HBO, but Netflix seems to have pulled ahead. They also preserve the chance that their films can be nominated for Oscars by releasing them for the required period in New York and Los Angeles. They have attracted major directors and stars, and the movies are often very good, because Netflix throws money at them and rarely interferes in the product.

Okja was written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, a respected South Korean director, that is in both Korean and English and with major English-speaking stars. It is a variation of the old "boy and his dog" film, only this time it's a girl and her giant pig. It seems that a corporation, headed by Tilda Swinton, has endeavored to genetically modify pigs to the sizes of hippos, to make more meat. They have entrusted 26 of these pigs to farmers around the world, including Okja, who lives like a family pet with her friend, Mija. Okja is chosen as the best pig, which means a trip to New York and possibly ending up as Christmas dinner.

Mija gets involved with a PETA-like animal rights group, headed by Paul Dano, to try to get Okja back and expose the cruelty of Swinton's company. This is all pretty obvious and overly sentimental. It's easy to root for Mija until you may realize that you eat pork and bacon and are thus a hypocrite. Vegans and vegetarians should love this movie.

One major misstep is Jake Gyllenhaal over-acting as a weirdo animal TV show. He's supposed to be very popular, a kind of Steve Irwin type, but comes off as a repulsive nut who could never be on TV.

Okja is not an Oscar contender, but it is an okay film that just may be part of a trend that will change the paradigm of how motion pictures are released and how we watch them. So many people complain about the theater experience--rowdy kids, people who talk or use their cell phones, bad sound, dim lighting--that we may be seeing the future of home entertainment.