Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Holy Motors


The more I think about Leos Carax’s Holy Motors, the more I appreciate it. The more I analyze Holy Motors, the more I am frustratingly confounded by it. It’s a film of such unique sensibilities, that, in passing, I could hail as a potential masterpiece. But under the harsh scrutiny of my movie-freaked mind, I’m still not sure if it fully holds up. Actually, forget fully… try remotely.

In the film (oh Christ, this is going to be difficult), a man most commonly regarded as Oscar spends the day traveling around Paris in a stretch white limo. Every time he steps out of the vehicle, he is a different person. When we first meet Oscar, he is walking down his driveway, waving goodbye to his (presumed) family. He steps into the limo sporting lush white hair and a slick business suit. When he remerges from the car, he is a horribly deformed homeless woman begging for change on a corner. He gets back in the limo, and the next time we see him, he is dressed in a skin-tight dance outfit of some kind, studded with jewels.

Eventually (but not clearly – never clearly) we learn that Oscar spends his time in the limo preparing for his next “appointment,” as he calls them. In the limo is just about anything a professional movie make-up artist would need: costumes, props, wigs, weapons, fake blood – anything. Every time Oscar goes to an appointment, he is someone (or something) new. He goes back to the car, changes, and remerges as someone different.

That’s Holy Motors.
Now, I imagine the first question for you readers is Why. Why the hell is Oscar doing what he’s doing? That’s something I wondered as well, and something I can in no way intelligibly answer. Another question may be What. What the hell is the point of at all? Another one that’s lost on me.

So here’s the thing. Regarding this film, it’s clear that Leos Carax knows something we don’t. Or, at the very least, has not the slightest bit interested informing us what we do not understand. Let me be frank: people may like this film, others will hate it, but no one will ever be able to break it down with unwavered accuracy. That simply isn’t possible. And therein lies the film’s beauty.

Throughout this movie, I was reminded of David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, which is still and will remain the very worst film I have seen this year. Both films star male figures of anonymous authority who spend the majority of one day traveling a large city in the back of a limo. Oh, and both films make little to no sense. What sets them apart is the fact that Holy Motors, despite its perplexities, is simply thrilling to watch. Its episodic nature allows it to never once grow boring, while the believability of the actors involved help convince the audience that what they are seeing is worthy.

As Oscar (or whatever the hell you want to call him), Denis Lavant gives as fearless and committed a performance as you’re likely to find this year. Same goes for Eva Mendes and Kylie Minogue, two well known women who show up briefly and randomly but manage to stick around far after they’ve left the screen.
I’d be curious to know if Lavant, or anyone else from the cast and/or crew, ever questioned Carax (and his script) during filming. And, perhaps more tellingly, I’d kill to know how Carax responded. To have a film like Holy Motors explained would be to take the piss out of the whole thing. It might make it more… enjoyable, if that’s the proper word, but I seriously doubt enjoyment is high on Carax’s emotions to hit.

All too often, I hear naysayers (or pseudo intellectuals, as Woody Allen prefers to call them) degrade film as a dead artistic medium. There are no new original ideas left, they may say. And while focusing on Hollywood fare more than proves that statement true, take Holy Motors as a case in point for those seeking cinematic originality. For better or worse, no one has ever seen anything like it.

I could (and am tempted to) give this film an A. But, quite frankly, I could just as easily give it an F. Ask me one day, and I’ll tell you it is a moving work of art that deserves comparison to the best works of Kubrick and Malick. Ask me the following day, and I may say it is a complete waste of time that adds nothing to anything, except your level of frustration. For now (and this may change), I’m going with the former. But believe you me, you’ve been warned. A-

30 comments:

  1. I've been wanting to see this since the buzz it received at Cannes. I need to see more of Carax's work as I only saw some of Lovers on the Bridge and the segment he made in Tokyo! with that deformed homeless man which was really an entertaining segment to a very underrated anthology film that features great segments from Bong Joon-Ho and Michel Gondry.

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    1. The buzz is definitely justified - it really is a unique cinematic vision. I'm not nearly as familiar with Carax's work as I plan on being. Tokyo! sounds awesome, definitely going to have to check that one out soon.

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  2. Wonderful review. Can't wait for this one. It sounds like it could be one of my favorites of the year, but it could go either way, as you mention. It does look a lot better than Cosmopolis though. ;)

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    1. Oh dear christ, it is SO much better than Cosmopolis. I honestly think this'll top several critics lists, but it'll also bottom out some as well. I have no idea what it is, but it has every idea what it is.

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  3. Yeah... this was frustrating... this is one of those movies that no score/grade would suffice in telling my feelings on the movie. There's no way, I admire it for what it was trying to do... but I hate it for how it was doing it. I gave it a try going in cold, so the best thing I can say is I don't want a refund or completely regret seeing it. I always, always, give points to filmmakers that try something different and tell new stories... sometimes it sings and sometimes it sinks and sometimes it's Holy Motors. I give you credit for writing a review, it must have been as frustrating as the movie.

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    1. Perfect comment, absolutely perfect way to sum the movie up. For me, staying power is a heavy factor in terms of how much I like a film. If it lingers for all the best reasons, then it deserves praise. If I forget it the minute I walk out of the theater, then it's a dud. And although I haven't been able to get Holy Motors out of my head since seeing it, I'm not entirely sure it deserves unfiltered praise yet.

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  4. I love your closing paragraph, lets just say while you are going with the former, I am definitely going with the latter!

    There were however two or three scenes (well, two, the accordian scene + the closing scene) that I enjoyed. Otherwise "a complete waste of time that adds nothing to anything, except your level of frustration" is my thoughts on this one!

    As mentioned above, credit for writing a review, would have been highly frustrating and hard!

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    1. Ha, fair enough man, you're certainly not going to get any argument from me. A few of the sequences really hit, and others were just too bizarre to keep up with. I'll be interested to see how this plays out come end of year summations.

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  5. I completely agree with most of things you said- I don't know if I would give it an A or an F, but I would definitely recommend it to people, it's too fascinating to not give it a GO (people meaning film fanatics). I also think Carax's intention was to keep this mystery even after the ending credits and make you wonder!

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    1. I agree that that was his intention, and if we're right, I think he succeeded admirably. I'd definitely recommend the film, but with very strong reservations, for sure!

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  6. Great review, Alex! I don't know how you found words to descbribe this film. I was baffled, but enjoyed the mysterious journey. I wanted so badly to figure it out and reading your review just sent my mind spinning again... Creative? Yes. Like abstract visual art, I can appreciate it, but I can't love it.

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    1. Thanks! I think that's one of the best ways to describe this one: you can appreciate it, but can you love it? Well, no, I cannot. But you gotta admit, once it gets in your brain, it's kind of fun trying to figure it out.

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  7. Huh. I was confused about this movie before, but after reading your review I'm even more confused. :-D I actually mean that in a good way. You kind of present it as a visual, intuitive "right brained" experience that -- when put into words -- has no exact translation. Did that make any sense at all? I'm on my second glass of wine (yup, that's a lot for *me*), so who knows? :-P Anyway, I'm intrigued.

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    1. Ha, you're funny. It's a difficult film to assess in review form, it's best to just experience it and see for yourself. Definitely a head trip.

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  8. Anyhoo ... I'll probably give it a go when it comes to Netflix.

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  9. I love confusing movies but it's only when there is a key left somewhere and I can solve this movie. I'm not a big fan of surreal films but I may give this a shot one day, who knows maybe I'll like it.

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    1. I couldn't agree more with you. If there is a key, or the hint of a key, I'm more likely to be intrigued. There's no key in sight for Holy Motors, you either have to roll with, it give up on it. Be interested to hear your thoughts.

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  10. My first experience with this film was unforgettable. It was during the SFF in a packed cinema and I had that enveloping feeling of 'cinema buzz' as I watched it. I had no idea what to expect next (a rare film), so I was continually left in awe (especially during the stop motion/Merde/interlude episodes).

    There were a couple of times I leaned across to Sam and whispered "Wow" or "What the hell!". It was confounding stuff, but it was exhilarating and I had never seen anything like it. It was a five star film because of the feeling I got from it. I could make out a few of Carax's ideas - changing technologies, the digital world we live in, creating something new and original to challenge an audience, the love for/compulsion to perform - but I really didn't understand it. I'm not sure I do now even (I had a go), but that took another viewing.

    I recently re-tweeted an excerpt from a review that I found interesting - that Oscar is doomed to recreate scenarios dreamed up by others. It is a tremendously sad film, I think. The characters he adopts could have all been a part of the dreams of the man at the beginning (Carax himself)?

    I just admired the craft; the ideas are fascinating alone (and the fact that it possesses scenes as mad as Merde and as sad as the scene with the father/daughter is extraordinary). There are some tremendous takes, an Lavant is unbeatable in the end-of-year actor race. Pity he likely won't get any attention.

    I can totally understand an F rating, but that would disappoint me. If you revisit it again, and it sits better in your head (on an understanding level) I would be interested in where you end up. The second viewing could have been a let down for me, considering how high I placed it after the first, but it was just as enriching (in a different way, though).

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    1. Just got done reading your critical analysis of this film... fascinating stuff man, I love how much you went all in and have really explored this one under a magnifying glass.

      The more time that passes, the more I admire this film as well. It went for something completely different and it worked. Unless, of course, it didn't. I love how polarizing films can be.

      Thanks so much for the comment buddy!

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  11. What a film! I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since seeing it this weekend.

    I have a theory that we reviewers see so many films that we long for something different - a surprise, a challenge. The casual viewer, because of this will often get glowing reviews of films that they will hate. In the theatre that I attended, a third of the audience walked out before the end. I saw it with three people, one hated, one admired, and one loved in a confused fashion.

    I have a wild and almost totally unsupported theory as to the message, or story, within. Lives are defined by "big" moments. These moments stay with us, change us, form us. But does something control these big moments? Perhaps there is a deity, Holy Motors, who is in control. Not of our lives, but of the BIG MOMENTS. They send out actors each day who deeply subsume themselves, at great personal cost, to embody big, dramatic scenes that change people's lives. Sometimes for the better, sometimes . . .

    Or I could illiterate many other theories. How exciting!

    When all is said and done, and after gestation, I think that this film reaches the level of great art. It has definitely stayed with me. We will likely not recommend it through our media channels for reasons related to our specific mission, but it will be a personal talking point and recommendation, with caveat, for a long time to come.

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    1. Wow man, what a kind, insightful comment here. I simply love everything about what you just said.

      I agree - I am in constant search of something new and different, and the more films I see, the harder that is to find. Holy Motors is both new and different and, like you, the more I think about it, the more I appreciate it.

      I'm stunned and happy that this one shifted from me being on the fence, to me completely loving it. It could've gone either way, but it is definitely in the green for me.

      Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving such a great comment!

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  12. Well Alex... First of all i am glad to see that the search term "Holy Motors explained" brings up your blog first!

    Second... Wtf? I give it an A for literally blowing my mind.

    Drew

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    1. Whoa are you serious?! That is nuts! Thanks for letting me know.

      Unfortunately, yes, WTF indeed. Ha. In no way will I be able to better explain the mysterious beauty that is this film. What's it all about (and... why?) are beyond me.

      Either way, glad you dug the flick, and thanks so much for stopping by!

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  13. I read a very interesting explanation on another blog that makes some sense...although I will admit trying to understand it sometimes detracts from the experience...the more I think about the movie, the more I like it for what it is...random, surprising, yet somehow personally identifiable...I can't help but quote Shakespeare: "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts..."

    Here is the link to the other blog I mentioned: http://thefamilyberzurcher.com/2012/11/15/holy-motors-carax-2012/

    - Drew

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    1. Brilliant quote there, very fitting. Read that other post. Very intriguing, but I agree with you, the more people try to break this down (or, similarly, The Tree of Life... or 2001) the more I think it dulls the experience. I'm not entirely sure if Carax (or Malick, or Kubrick) has a "point" with it all, but if he does, he certainly doesn't want us to know what it is. I just allowed myself to be engulfed in its mad ass crazy world, and that was enough!

      Thanks again for commenting. I owe you a call soon. Later this week!

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  14. I've just watched this on DVD, and as an avid cinema-goer and a huge fan of foreign films, I think it was the biggest pile of unmitigated shite I've ever seen.

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    1. Ha. Fair enough, no argument from me. It's a damn polarizing little flick.

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  15. Saw this film and didn`t know what the hell was going on and thought it was a bit deceiving and pretentious. I kept asking question but kept running into walls that the narrative(the little there is)refuses to explain or expand.Is it vignettes of the cycle of life and death (re-inactments of peoples lives,some who died that day before midnight?)a play ,symbolism an analogy ,perhaps of Dante`s Divine comedy?Why laugh before midnight before the "day is over" Bizarre film that left me very frustrated.

    Then I saw it again,this time a bit stone and honestly I enjoyed it a lot more.I think you have to be a little zoned out yourself to make any sense of this on a conscience level.Its moods are very well acted out by all the actors and it really drifts foreword and unstoppable towards the night`s end,and it as if the film evolved backwards and sometimes non-chronologically.Old woman from the start and then the primitive refuge at home at the end.And I really liked the ending it confused me a lot but made sense when you think about the title. Also those who have seen Holy motors ,it sad that drive through films kinda took a back seat to indoor cinemas.I believe my car would have loved this film.

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    1. I love this comment. I agree that the movie is confounding to the point of frustration, but I really did enjoy its unique vision. I loved your thoughts on when you watched it stoned. Shit made me laugh out loud.

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