There was a great debate about Cloud Atlas - which i rly, rly loved - and someone suggest this one to me. I watched the whole movie and find it pretty artistic and touchy on some moments, but i rly missed the whole plot. What was going on? who were those artists preforming all those strange dates. The talking limos and stuff. : (
shareI really think you need to consider the meaning behind each individual segment, as opposed to looking for one overall "message" to the whole thing. Like vintage Godard, this is really about developing individual vignettes than cultivating some overarching thesis. With that said: cinema, technology, performance... those seem to be the three uniting principles to the film.
Maybe watch some of Carax's other films, which are much more "linear" narratives (there essentially all romances).
Okay, then can you please explain each individual segment?
I keep wanting to write this movie off, but there's something about it that keeps me coming back. It's just too damn weird to not be significant in some way.
I'm only halfway through but I felt compelled to read up about the film whilst I was watching it. It's fascinating.
Here's how I see it - the film is exploring different ingredients and genres of cinema. You have the audience at the beginning, the light show is representing the importance of CGI and visual technology, the Eva Mendes vignette represents the importance of sex in cinema, the father/daughter represents family dynamics and the accordion scene conveys the importance of music.
As I said, I'm not done yet and I could be way off base but that's how I see it at the moment. Plus, every vignette is in some way linked to performance, perception or persona, which are all key parts of being an actor. It's also no coincidence that his name is Oscar.
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the light show is representing the importance of CGI and visual technologyI think it's doing quite the opposite. The whole point of the segment is that the two suit-clad performers cavorting in the empty room is infinitely more visually beautiful than the garish final CGI product. It echos Oscars later exasperation - which permeates through the whole film - about the way changing technology has taken all the fun and vitality out of cinema. share
I used the wrong word. When I said 'importance of CGI', I mean the importance that modern-day mainstream film-makers unnecessarily place upon it. I also saw the same message as you.
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the term 'needing to have things explained' makes me cringe. it's like; how do i taste this food? or look at this painting? or listen to this music?
there are so many layers and interpretations and wonderfully things happening that can't be explained. it's the magic of good cinema.