Movies
Whether you will fully appreciate Noé's film depends on your stamina and your ability to handle his extremely direct approach, but just on a cinematic level alone there is so much to enjoy here.
Look beyond Irreversible's most infamous scenes and you'll find a conceptually perfect film, an audiovisual tour de force that is sure to leave a strong emotional footprint on all those watching it.
Gaspar Noé and Benoît Debie are finally reunited again. Climax isn't quite as intense as Noé's best films, but it's far more intense that most of the other films out there. A great soundtrack, mad cinematography and a dire descent into madness make this a film that needs to be experienced rather than understood.
So yeah, Noé could've opted to make a more pensive, explanatory version of the story, but that's not really his style.
What originally started as an YSL commercial ended up becoming Lux Æterna, a fun little diversion for Noé. A short feature about a film (production) gone wrong, though like always it's not quite clear how serious Noé is when he starts quoting other famous directors. Fans of the man's work needn't worry, this is vintage Noé. Gainsbourg and Dalle have been asked to participate in a film. After some back and forth between the two actresses, the shoot is finally about to start, but then everything starts falling apart. Annoying people on set, problems at home and faulty equipment turn the shoot into a real ordeal. The performances are spirited, the visuals are aggressive (with confusing split screens and blinding strobes), the soundtrack is dark and menacing. Still, the short runtime takes away from the oppressive style and the focus on film production is generally one I don't really appreciate. It's a solid Noé, but far from his best work.Read all
Gaspar Noé's latest is every bit as intense as his previous films, only the presentation is wildly different. Vortex is a more traditional arthouse drama. It's not as wild or dynamic, instead, it takes on the pace of the two aging leads who are slowly losing grip on the world around them. An elderly couple still lives together, but their health is getting in the way of leading a normal life. The woman is dementing and has few moments of clarity left, the man has a heart condition and can't take proper care of his wife. Their son visits from time to time, but he is dealing with a drug addiction, so he can't take care of either of his parents. The split screen idea is interesting (but doesn't really add all that much), the drama is intense and the performances are stellar. Still, 140 minutes is long for the basic premise and without his flashy presentation, Noé has a much harder time distinguishing himself from other arthouse productions. Vortex is a good film, but also one of his weakest.Read all
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