Craig Zobel's COMPLIANCE

Holy Motors is a difficult act to follow and again, I knew very little about Compliance before watching it. If you get frustrated with films where you feel people are making terrible decisions, this is really going to test you beyond the limits. I could hardly sit through this. There's nothing graphic as such but the psychological tension is at times unbearable.

Did I like it? Yes, very much so and I look forward to seeing more from Craig Zobel but I doubt if I will ever feel the need to watch it again. That said, I am glad it exists and think it is required viewing. The performances are very good, naturalistic, convincing and the script handles the subject matter very well. It is taught and economic. It should be noted that the story is "inspired by true events" and this adds a lot of weight to the proceedings.

Were it not so, the film would still stand as a thesis on obedience, coercion and blind trust in established institutions. Fascinating, tense, and necessary.

Links:
Compliance (Official Site)
Compliance (Wiki)

Leos Carax's HOLY MOTORS

Holy Motors is by far the best movie that I've seen from 2012. It is a poetic tour-de-force, a tsunami of experiences, a maze of contemplation and a visual feast. Looking at other reviews for the film, I can see it nearly universally loved though unlike other reviews, I'm going to keep as much of the film veiled behind curtains as possible. I watched the film having only seen a couple of stills, the poster above and a brief synopsis. At first, I was so lost I wished I had known more but as the film progressed I was increasingly grateful for my ignorance. I was surprised continually through this film. I can't even recall when a film managed to do that in the last 20 years.

First, the cinematography in the film is breathtaking from beginning to end with such a variety of locations, colours, and light... it is stunning. The flow of the imagery is consistent and graceful attaining that otherworldly quality that I can't recall since Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire and the two films are similar in many ways. Both deal with a central character who works for a mysterious agency and both have a surreal, fairy-tale quality about them though by no means does this make Holy Motors anything but original.

Another recent film that bears some cursory similarities to this is David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis. Both are journeys taken in a stretch limousine across a city and both deal with similar themes of identity, but these are so trivial amid the audacity of Holy Motors. It changes gears so often and criss crosses between genres at a mind boggling pace which you might assume would make for a fractured film but it holds together extremely well. Why? The aforementioned cinematographer helps. Also the framework built around each part is strong as our protagonist Mr. Oscar(Denis Levant) moves about the city with his chauffeur Céline(Édith Scob) who also works for the Agency.

It is worth noting here that Édith Scob played Christiane Génessier in Georges Franju's Eyes Without a Face(1959). Though not absolutely necessary, I think watching that film before Holy Motors will augment your experience though it isn't absolutely necessary.

Denis Levant gives a strong central performance as the mysterious Mr. Oscar, the man of a thousand faces. At times he is funny, engaging, frightening, and disgusting; sometimes all at once. Leos Carax has said he had Levant in mind for the part prior to production and wouldn't have made the film without him and after seeing this film, you'll understand why. Levant has a huge task on his hands and unlike other protagonists, his character changes frequently in the film though Oscar deftly manages to remain coherent. On top of this, the audience slowly gets acquainted with the rules of the Holy Motors world, some of which are mind bending but it doesn't matter because Oscar and Céline are there with us. Also, through all the jolts in the film, I never felt alienated from them; the driver never scared me off the bus or out of the limousine as it were.

Overall, I think if you enjoy the content here on SiouxWIRE then this film will work for you on some level and is what I consider an instant classic. It is simply beautiful, confounding, challenging and boldly cinematic. In time, I will write up in more detail my thoughts regarding the film. Many reviewers seem to think it's fun nonsense, but I disagree. There is a wealth of ideas in this film and it is anything but nonsense. The film has solid concepts that once noted seem practically blatant. Anyhow, I don't wish to divulge too much. Go and see this film, feast your eyes and enjoy the ride.

Links:
Holy Motors (Wiki)
Holy Motors (IMDB)
Holy Motors (Facebook)
Holy Motors (Official Site - USA)

Review: Tom Hooper's LES MISERABLES

Going into this film, I had not read the novel by Victor Hugo nor seen the musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. I had heard some songs from the musical but without the narrative framework, I didn't really connect. Still, I went in with curiosity and hope. The first epic scene with prisoners pulling huge ropes to bring a damaged ship into a dock which seemed to be a crucible of human souls overseen by a single figure standing before a slate grey sky, Javert (Russell Crowe), a high guard of the prison. Among the prisoners his foil, Valjean, a nearly unrecognisable Hugh Jackman toils on the final day of his sentence. This scene establishes the conflict between the two men while simultaneously laying down a strong beat and flavour for the world in which the story is set. Unfortunately, the grim cadence peters out somewhat for the final half but more about that later.

The world of the film is marvellous with muted palettes and the unflinching look at les miserables gives the film a dark quality that works well with the subject matter even during some of the humorous scenes. There is shit in the streets, vomit on the lapel of a drunk, legs and freshly harvested cat tail being ground for meat, and dirt goes beyond just a few smears of black grease paint. This grit does so much to buttress what already exists in the musical pushing it to another level during the high points of the film and indeed matching some of the lyrics darkness.



As for the performances, they are overall extraordinary. As the film progresses, the incredible performances pile on one after another: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter... I started to think this parade of extraordinary, above par performances can't last forever and sadly it doesn't. It comes close but just misses the mark. Regretfully, there is a fly in the soup, a weak link in the chain, a Jar Jar in the mix... Eddie Redmayne who plays Marius seems like a CGI character. It is hard to believe he's there. While the others are acting first and singing second, he seems to be trying to hit the right notes without regard for the meaning and feeling behind the lyrics. Anne Hathaway doesn't sing I dream a dream as a technical singer and indeed her tears get in the way and a wobbly voice makes her voice waver but that song came to life for me like it never has before. (Sorry, Susan Boyle.) I had seen Eddie Redmayne last year in the BBC's production of Birdsong where, despite the lack of singing, he demonstrated another painfully wooden performance (though Joseph Mawle was fantastic).

Marius doesn't appear until the second half of the film which didn't work quite as well as the first. It isn't entirely down to him (though he is exceedingly distracting). At one point, I gave up getting angry and started laughing at some of the more inappropriate performances. To be fair though, I think his performance would have worked well on stage. Unfortunately, this wasn't a stage and everyone else seemed to be in on the secret that this is a film rather than a West End musical. I'll leave Eddie alone for now and hopefully if you've read this, it may prepare you and maybe even put you in the right mindset to enjoy the second half that much more.



The momentum and strength of the first hour or so of this film, I will never forget. The pacing is relentless like the beat established in the opening. It's like watching some insidious machine with people being pulled through its gears while fate turns the crank. It's visceral, dirty, dark, human and full of strong pacing and characterisation. From the second act, however it loses its way somewhat with pacing issues and Redmayne's distracting performance. Overall though, I think it is a must see film and the second half features a couple of knock out performances from Samantha Barks and young Daniel Huttlestone as well as a few songs that will linger with me for a long time but I can't help wondering what it would have been like if the momentum carried through to the end or if Benedict Cumberbatch had been cast as Marius.

Links:
Les Miserables Film (Wiki)
Les Miserables (IMDB)
Les Miserables Film (Official Site)
Les Miserables Musical (Official Site)

KEVIN WEIR's Animated GIFs

It takes something of sublime genius to wake me up and this little animation reminiscent of Edward Gorey did just that. Created by Kevin Weir who has several other creations displayed on his Tumblr site Flux Machine, it is unexpected and pregnant with metaphor.

Links
Flux Machine
Historical Animated GIFs (Cartoon Brew)
Vintage Photos Enter Spooky Afterlife (Wired)

Michel Gondry's L'Écume des Jours (Mood Indigo)

I look forward to Michel Gondry's latest with great anticipation.



As a sidenote, here is Duke Ellington and his orchestra with Coleman Hawkins performing "Mood Indigo".



Links:
Michel Gondry
Froth on the Daydream (Wiki)
Boris Vian