Almost like “Au hasard Balthazar,” but with a chicken.
Why did the chicken cross the road?
To dodge that hungry fox and because the local gas station wouldn’t protect him. And I don’t even think they did see that fox that invites itself in.
I guess with the Greek import “Hen,” we needed a joke like that to elevate things. And this isn’t a cartoon, so that fox won’t be suing the Acme Corporation anytime soon.
I’m feeling some “Au hasard Balthazar” vibes watching this movie, as we mostly see the perspectives of a hen, and the few humans it sees. This black hen crosses many areas. It sees a protest and escapes before the bloodshed. Then, it gets caught by a black dog and taken to its abode: a seafood tavern. It could be the whimsical kind, if not for the human-trafficking game played there.
The restaurant owner (Yannis Kokiasmenos) wants to call it quits with allowing this game to run at his establishment, and he even befriends the chicken after it escapes from a burning truck.
I’m told the hen is played by eight chickens by the names of Eszti, Szandi, Feri, Enci, Eti, Eniko, Nora, and Anett. And the press notes I was given have mini bios for each of them. It says that Eniko is part of the special effects crew, Feri is the lead hen, Anett is the second lead hen and script coordinator, Nora is the third lead hen and on-camera talent, Eti is the stunt coordinator, Enci is the assistant director. I’m sure the bios are just trying to be cute, and then again, that pig did have an understudy in “Pig.” And the animals do have a lot of humor, so it elevates on that.
There should be a little more story in “Hen,” but it still delivers in the perspective of the chicken. It sees what’s going on and is obvious to the human-trafficking plot. It’s more interested in the egg it loses, when it sneaks inside the truck and on top of its fan. It does ruin plans for the bad guys and the lives of their victims, and yet, it isn’t cynical or mean-spirited.
The IMDB page needs to rethink labeling “Hen” as a family film, because there are a few F-bombs dropped, the human-trafficking plot, the fox that gets killed chasing the hen, and the black dog and some people getting shot. Now that’s children’s entertainment for you. If this movie is playing at your local art house theater and you look it up on IMDB, or my website, then you’re better off taking your small kids to see “The Cat in the Hat.” This is a movie for adults, who love the “Au hasard Balthazar” genre, and don’t forget, we also had “EO” a few years ago.
Ari Aster is an executive producer of this movie, and it kind of makes sense, especially when we see how hard this hen lays some eggs. We see the bottom of it, and that’s the same thing as a human giving birth. It’s not that easy.
Playing at the Quad Cinema in NYC This Week
