Review of Holy Motors (2012) by Akash S — 28 Dec 2016
Leos Carax comes back after a 13 year hiatus to present us with a beautifully weird, absurdist film, which is both 'a tribute to cinema' as well as 'an ode to film (celluloid)'. It doesn't have a linear story or much of a plot, and doesn't make much sense in its entirety. But there's something oddly delightful about it, and keeps you intrigued till the very end. It is unlike anything one has seen before. There are various film references in the movie which would keep cinephiles amazed.
Shakespeare says, "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." This movie is like a literal adaptation of that text; it follows an actor named Mr. Oscar, who dons one role after the other, in actual settings, in front of seemingly invisible cameras. It compares an actor's roles to real-life roles, and the themes tackled are similar too - love, sex, despair, death, etc. And in his journey, we also come across various genres of films.
What does it mean to be an actor? How is it costing one? Till what does one have to go to make it feel authentic? These are just few of the questions it makes us wonder. And other than the screenplay, it's the brilliant performance of talented actor Denis Lavant that makes us wonder that. All the sequences have something to offer; they move you, make you laugh, or make you think.
Few notable film references:
- 'Mon Oncle' (the interior of first house).
- 'Lovers on the Bridge' (Beggar sequence, La Samaritaine).
- 'Mauvais Sang' (motion-capture sequence with red & white lines scrolling in the background).
- 'Tokyo!' (the pseudo-leprechaun Merde; he also eats sushi before performing it).
- monster movies like 'King Kong' and 'Godzilla' (Merde picking up the model; the original score from 'Godzilla').
- 'Underground' (Accordion scene).
- 'Breathless' (The name 'Jean', as in Jean Seberg, Kylie Minogue's hairstyle, the mention about lost baby, suicidal tendency).
- 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' (Kylie's singing sequence).
- 'Cremaster 5' (Kylie's dive backwards from the building).
- 'Max Mon Amour' (being married to monkey).
- 'Eyes Without a Face' (the same actress, the same mask).
- and many others.
This review of Holy Motors (2012) was written by Akash S on 28 Dec 2016.
Holy Motors has generally received positive reviews.
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