Review of The Limits of Control (2009) by James L — 25 Dec 2009

Tedious? Yes. Pretentious? Yes. Plotless? No.

Likely to be an art-house favorite, because it is told in terms of images rather than rational thought/dialogue. In other words told in terms of its own native language.

The plot (as seen or imagined) by this viewer is that the Right-Brained bohemians of this world have had enough and have decided to strike back against the left-brained power people who control the world, even to the degree of cultural imperialism, where they tyranically get to define what Reality is from the advantaged position where Might Makes Right.

So, a conspiracy of artists decide to take a page from the playbook of the Powerful and send an assassin out to penetrate the most secure of Safe Havens and kill the the Killer in Cheif who has been making war on Truth as Beauty for all of recorded time. It's called payback and represents the first step in gaining recognition. Througout, contact is made with various artisans who are in on the conspiracy, who provide the hired assassin with the next location and the next contact. (Gets tiresome after a while. Cryptic instructions are always provided in exchanged matchboxes and one is left wondering as to why the matchbox, although often enough in recorded history all it took was a little flame to ignite The Revolution.)Throughout a Black Helipcoper hovers above the meetings (symbol of opposition power that is ever suspicious and is busy hunting down subervises?)and maintaining Control.

So, in its tedious and tendentious way the film shows what a Rising might look like, if the Right Brained people ever tuned into the left sides of their brains. There is even dualism suggested throughout, where repeated orderings of two beverages at various cafes imply that artisans would do well to learn more about wielding power and power people would do well to learn more about Truth as Beauty.

Bohemia vs The Establishment. Sturm und Drang vs Imperial Authority. Rationalism vs the Heart Having reasons that Reason does not know. Makes you think that ones "Real World" may not be as real and enduring as one might imagine.