Review of Code Unknown (2000) by Stuart B — 14 Feb 2012

While I guess it was probably a good idea at concept, when it came down to watching it I was reduced to boredom, frustration and disorientation. Basically, the story revolves around three people who clash on a street in Paris, causing a catalyst for the movie as it then follows them in their daily lives as each of them deals with hatred, racism and intolerance. And while at first this may seem like an interesting socio-political commentary, the manner in which it is filmed makes it almost impossible to form a bond with any of the characters, and thus quickly lose interest in any of their stories. The issue is that the film is shot in very rapid scenes, jumping back and forth from each protagonist usually for no more than a minute. It just makes for a tiresome and truly disorientating movie, and when the subject matter is so negative in the first place, it's just made all the harder by the director's actions.

Having said that, the film looks fabulous, as Haneke explores the gritty realism of Parisian life, the acting (particularly the radiant Binoche) is good, and some of the sequences are particularly powerful, but when the narrative is so fragmented, it is difficult to navigate the movie and you certainly end up struggling to get through the film. I'm sure if the film was shot in a more conventional manner I would have appreciated it more, as the story itself could be quite provocative, but as it was, as with many Haneke movies, I was just left drained and confused.