Enter the Void (2009) - Movie Review

Gaspar Noé, the man behind "Irreversible" and "I Stand Alone", was in my opinion one of the most inventive and innovative forces in recent cinema; his films opened doors no other films dare or can. With "I Stand Alone" he gave us a stark, harsh window into the life of a French butcher, and with "Irreversible" (a film I have already reviewed on this blog), he gave us one of the most effectively disturbing masterworks in cinematic history. Knowing my fandom, you can imagine how eagerly I was awaiting his newest film, "Enter the Void"; a film which polarised audiences at Cannes, causing incredibly mixed reviews. The more I heard about the film itself, the more I was fascinated by it. It was easily, without a shadow of a doubt, my most anticipated film of 2009 and 2010 (not knowing anything about release date). The teasers, trailers and opening credits which were released online fascinated me even more. It looked sensational. With the film in limited release, I searched for a screening near me. Turned out the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle had two screenings lined up... I caught the second; here are my (hopefully) organised thoughts.

"Enter the Void" is a full-on sensory-numbing experience right from the first frame. The opening credits are even enough to cause an epileptic seizure. Noe has always been known for unconventional titles and credits (Irreversible's titles were the credits backwards and the credits consisted of just a title card reading "Le temps detruit tout" (Time destroys everything), but these, his titles for "Enter the Void" are his most innovative yet and no doubt one of my favourite opening title sequences ever. There are two distinctively different halves to the opening credit sequence. The first; a fast paced assortment of strobe-powered credits accompanied by an uneasy whirring sound, and the second, what can only be described as an assault on the eyes and ears... only seeing it would do it justice! But first, it feels like it's my duty to issue an epilepsy warning; if you suffer from epilepsy, don't bother trying.

After the opening sequence, comes a real time 20 minute or so long section where we meet the main character, Oscar and his sister, Linda... over the course of the section, she leaves, he takes DMT, trips and gets a phone call from his friend Victor, asking him to bring his share of a drug haul to "The Void", a bar (with more psychedelic decor than is needed on a DMT trip, I might add). The police bust in, he flees to the bathroom and is shot. From then on, the film descends into a state of exuberant beauty, whizzing melancholic energy and pure visual inventiveness.

After the screening I caught, it took around two or three days to fully process what I saw. My initial reaction was one of complete awe and shock. Whether you like him or not; there is no denying that Noe has a definite and clear vision and he shows us some things we would never see anywhere else (in the case of this film, things we wouldn't see unless we were a gynaecologist with a pinhole camera; not to sound crass). My initial reaction was also definitely positive, but alas, I was blinded by the experience to see certain obvious flaws... it may have been said before but the film is slightly overlong, this thought only cropped up once or twice during the viewing of the film, mostly during the extended sequences of Oscar's travelling spirit going through buildings; although this isn't to say the beautiful model-work and cinematography didn't keep my attention, it completely did. Let's just say, in the way of visual and technical innovation, for me, this beats "Avatar", no question. That's pretty much it in the way of criticisms and problems I had with the film.

What Gaspar Noe has created here is another testament to how easy it is to polarise an audience. Some will be completely taken in by the film, and yet some will feel detached... and this is definitely a film you cannot enjoy in a detached state. You have to prepare to be absorbed by the experience; and prepare to have certain boundaries challenged. I adored this film; it's also probably my favourite of the year up to now.

The White Ribbon [Das Weisse Band] (2009) - Film Review

Michael Haneke is the director responsible for such disturbing masterworks as "Funny Games", "The Seventh Continent" and "Cache" (Hidden)... This, I think, is what will be his most respected and celebrated effort yet, for as much as I adore "Funny Games" for its borderline obnoxious jabs at the audience for expecting a more graphically violent and disgusting torture-porn film, and him delivering a more psychologically torturing and effective experience, and as much as I love "The Seventh Continent" for delivering one of the most emotionally harrowing experiences I have ever seen on screen and "Cache" for not fearing to not answer every question asked, this, "The White Ribbon", is a masterpiece... and I don't use the term all that often.

Never before, even in Haneke's previous films, has a certain line, or the slightest allusion to an event been as shattering or powerful, and never before has the smallest amount of violence (and I'm talking the level of a punch) been so effective. It's a masterful effort through and through.

I, along with a few other critics, believe this to be Haneke's attempt to show us the roots and reasons that may be behind Naziism. The film is set on the eve of WWI in a small German village, where evermore strange, violent and horrific acts are taking place. Throughout the course of the film we are given certain clues as to who it could be, and some possible motivation behind it. But the questions are left directly unanswered, and we are forced to make up our own minds about the events.

This film could be by all means a perfect one. Michael Haneke plays us like an orchestra, makes us wince, cringe and ultimately ponder on what actually took place. Not only is it Haneke's best, it may even be the best film of 2009.

Irréversible (2002) - Movie Review

"Irreversible" is a film almost too intense to handle in one sitting. Yes, it is, at certain points, very explicitly sexual. Yes, it is, at certain points, sickeningly violent. But is it a morally abrupt film? Hell no.

"Irreversible" opens with the end credits and almost seamlessly works backward through the horrific night it is set on. The film is so masterfully shot and edited, that the camerawork is as hypnotising as it is nauseating. It gets gradually less frantic as the film goes on, but the first 20 or 30 minutes are shot as though we are on the brutal comedown of a huge drug binge or we are on the verge of fainting.

People have criticised Gaspar Noe for many things; most superficially, his incredibly graphic and unflinching depiction of rape in this film. For the uninitiated, the rape scene is around 8 or 9 minutes long... it's too much. It's completely and utterly repulsive. We, as a whole audience, want to turn away, we don't want to see as much as we do see. But violence needs to repulse us to be effective, and I'll be damned if it doesn't effect anyone on at least some level. He has also been criticised of being homophobic... oh no, not at all. Some character's may be, but not the director nor the film.

"Irreversible" is a staggering, gritty and real film... but it's necessary. We need films like this to wake up an audience from thinking violence is easy to watch. I would completely understand if someone wouldn't want to see this film, and rightly so; but for those who think they could stomach it, it's definitely not exploitative or done for shock value. It's an amazing film, with an emotional scope larger than anticipated, and the aforementioned scene (plus another infamous scene involving a fire extinguisher) have artistic and psychological merit.

This film gives us the scourge and scum of humanity, and doesn't dress it up or placate us.

A Prophet [Un Prophete] (2009) - Film Review

According to IMDB, Jacques Audiard has directed four feature films before "A Prophet", none of them seen by me. Even though I haven't seen them, I know I can make the call that this is his best.

"A Prophet" is a masterfully crafted coming-of-age story hiding behind the gritty prison-crime exterior that the film is marketed as and, on the surface, is. Not unlike "The Godfather", it is a film of body language... a film that shows you certain moments, be they relevant to the grand scheme of the story or not, and despite it being high on runtime, nothing feels unneeded.

The story follows 19 year old Malik El Djebena, an Arabian criminal, who is sent to do his first adult prison sentence in France, where, inside, he knows no-one, no friends and no enemies. Because of this, the head of the Corsicans in prison, Cesar, chooses him to be his eyes and ears inside and out. Malik has no choice whether he joins the Corsicans or not, it's either join or be killed.

His first "job" is to murder another prisoner who may rat on one of the Corsican's partners before his upcoming trial... this other prisoner, a dealer of hash inside, propositioned Malik in the shower a day previous to being asked to kill him. Malik makes friends, and offers this prisoner a blowjob in exchange for hash, readying himself to strike and cut his throat at the last minute with a razor he hides in his mouth... this doesn't go according to plan. What follows is one of the messiest and grittiest murders in recent cinema. Following this, he is now under Cesar's protection, after a while he builds his own empire of sorts outside of the prison, running drugs in and dealing to the inmates. Much to the dismay of Cesar.

"A Prophet" is an assured and calculated film about many things; prison life, religion, brotherhood, fatherhood and crime itself. The film is not as perfect as some people have claimed, and I'm not saying as of this first viewing that it's a bonafide masterpiece, but it is an outstanding, gritty and uncompromising piece of cinema. Oh, and the gunfight in the car in the last quarter of the film is one of the best. EVER.

Highly recommended.