Review of The Congress (2013) by Robert H — 25 Jul 2014

The Congress deals with individuality in the face of future technology with tons of scope and ambition. It's a movie that I almost got lost in, but was fortunately able to keep up with its evolving ideas and complexities. It stars Robin Wright, who is under the technological world's pressure to sell her self out to technology, which gets more and more advanced as years pass.

The film has a lot to say about the way in which technology can threaten our individuality. Its many various philosophies, metaphors, symbols, and other complexities that make it a film to think on for a while after it ends. As it goes on, it's intellectually engaging and thought provoking, fascinating as a spectacle and often emotionally powerful. It's easy to be wowed by this film, as I ultimately was. Upon thinking about the film after it was over, I concluded that there were several flaws that kept it from leaving me completely satisfied with its conclusion and message(s), which was/were a bit unclear. I felt that the protagonist was underdeveloped. She has a desire to remain herself, but is rarely active in this pursuit, and I wish we knew more about why she wants what she wants so badly. She even felt plain at times. I also felt that the end of the film mixed the world that she was avoiding with the one she wanted all along, making for an unclear final message.

Many people may think they may need to rethink or re-watch this film because there is just so much going on that its easy to think that you missed something. I felt that I had a fairly good grasp on this film, however, despite that I would certainly admit to not understanding the entire thing. These flaws diminish the impact of the film, but do not take away from the majesty, beauty, and scope of it. It's nonetheless an excellent film with great ideas and one that left me thinking, and still leaves me thinking.