Review of The Limits of Control (2009) by Andrew F — 27 Jun 2009
This is a tricky little film. Impeccably crafted - I mean, literally, you will not see a better-looking film this year - but it's also primarily self-indulgent navel-gazing that amounts to nothing substantial.
The constant music cues grew tiresome. The constant repetition grew tiresome. The performances were all remarkable, and again - the cinematography is fucking peerless. There's just this hollowness in the middle of it all where something like a story should be.
I was tempted at first to claim Jarmusch was making a mockery of an art film on purpose - but this film's too impeccably crafted to be mounted in service of such a base aspiration. In its stubborn refusal to be about anything, or to give the audience any kind of foothold in the characters or the story, the film calls to mind Last Year at Marienbad.
Not really in a good way though.
This review of The Limits of Control (2009) was written by Andrew F on 27 Jun 2009.
The Limits of Control has generally received mixed reviews.
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