Review of Drawing Restraint 9 (2006) by Ben C — 09 Nov 2007

Move over David Lynch, this is without a doubt the weirdest film I have ever seen.More art gallery than art-house, most things happen with little explanation, and there are some explicit visual motifs that occur throughout.

At first you feel clever for noticing them, but they soon become tiresome. It is shot beautifully and the surrealist nature of the world allows for fascinating imagery (Bjork bathes in a tub full of oranges).

The soundtrack (composed by Bjork) is very strong, ranging from traditional pop songs to bizarre discordant soundscapes, always marrying well with the image on screen. A major theme seems to be ritual/ceremony and the charactersâ?? meticulous attention to detail during seemingly pointless activities is interesting, and even humorous to watch.

There are only about 10 lines of dialogue, so the film requires some patience and the mind does wander in parts. All in all though it makes for lively discussion afterwards and now, days later, I feel an odd compulsion for a second viewing.