What you have here with Curling is a rather unclear look at a rather atypical family life between Father, Jean-Francois (aka Moustache), and daughter, Julyvonne. Immediately your alarm should be going off, but hold on now, it's not like that. Well, it might be, but that's up for you to decide.
The Father is a hard-working and shy man who seems to going through the motions. At times it appears that this routine and mundane lifestyle is really his cup of tea, but then things begin to sour. He doesn't allow his daughter to go to school or venture outside at night, and his strict rules around the house instinctively suggest a curious double-take. Even with outside influences questioning him, he still holds steadfast to his ways, and it's this puzzling aspect of the Father that's the backbone of the film.
Like a peek behind-closed doors, the viewer is given a glimpse into this strange working life, but there's still something else going on...something fishy. Many questions circle about, like why is the father so protective of his daughter? Why does the character Rosie erupt and exclaim that Lucyvonne is soulless? What's the deal with the music scenes, and why is the Father so tentative and secretive? There are many questions to be asked during the film, and although interpretations may vary, the questions appear to echo back sinister motives.
More so than anything else, a lot of film-goers may have issues with the film's seeming lack of solution, but that's not really the case as the film does develop and bring about varying conclusions. My gripes with Curling are slim to none, but that's not to say I really enjoyed it. It's a strange film that possesses a strength which rewards the inquisitive thinker. Just a heads up: be careful to whom you recommend this to; even though the film has a similar tone to other bizarre flicks (like Dogtooth, for instance) I would say it's even less accessible. If you don't like films that urge you to clue things together, then I'd say go ahead and skip this.
There are many, many things said and shown on screen that'll have you flip-flopping between thinking if it's all innocent and relatable, or if it's all devious. One thing you will be certain of concerning this Father-daughter duo is that it is indeed strange and troubling. As I mentioned above I'm leaning towards the sinister side because it's more fun, but let's be serious here, that moustache ain't helping nobody.
