Review of The Limits of Control (2009) by Jouni K — 24 Jan 2011

âLimits of Controlâ? is a difficult film to pin down. On one hand itâ(TM)s frustratingly tedious, on the other hand itâ(TM)s saturated with a mesmerizing, surreal atmosphere that keeps you engaged. Visually impressive and a successful conveyer of tone, this flick is a slow but somehow blandly compelling experience. I definitely donâ(TM)t feel the need to see it again, though.

At this point I think that Jarmuch has made enough films about currently hot celebrities having absurd conversations with each other over coffee. He should turn his unique ability of creating dreamlike states with subtlety into telling stories and actually communicating somethingâ¦more. The purely tone-oriented approach to cinema works fine for shorts, but I for one think that a full length feature should generally tell a story.