Holy Motors

Holy Motors? More like Holy Shit, what the fuck did I just watch? Am I right? Am I right?

Jokes aside, I can honestly say that I did not expect anything that Director Leos Carax created with Holy Motors. My only criteria in selecting this film is that I wanted Drew to hate it. I was bitter with his veto and was seeking revenge. French movie? Subtitles? Perfect!!

 I purposely did no research on the movie prior to viewing, and I am glad I took this approach. It takes a bit of time to get into to the flow of the seemingly disjointed vignettes, which I think are 9 in total. I could be off by one or two. Once I figured out that the movie was pushed along using Mr. Oscar’s appointments, I found myself looking forward to each new character Denis Lavant would transform himself into. By the time “Monsieur Merde” started tearing ass through that Parisian cemetery eating flowers and taking Eva Mendes to show off his cuddle boner I was all in.

Focusing briefly on some of the technical aspects first, I loved the colors that Carax implements in to the film. Particularly the lighting during the makeup/transformation scenes in the limo are some of my favorite. The music that he uses is excellent for setting the tone for the different characters, or pushing character narratives like Kylie Minogue’s musical number. But neither of those compare to the awesome accordion interlude Lavant nailed. That is probably my favorite scene in the entire film. Incidentally, that scene also shows off some of the great panning shots that Carax used throughout the film. Just an awesome awesome scene all around.

The more I get into to trying to explain this film, the more I realize that my words are just not going to do it any justice. Instead, I will offer some advice on anyone who has yet to watch. Sit back and relax. Don’t allow yourself to be constrained by the typical limitations of narratives and scripts. Enjoy the ride you are about to go on and let mind explore the characters that Lavant brings to life before you. I promise you this, you will feel closer to dreaming while you are wide awake than you ever have before.

I’ll let you gents discuss the underlying theme of the degradation of film as an art form as it allows technology to transform it.  

EDIT: A-

Me and You and Everyone We Know

You ever watch something... and not know completely why you like or dislike it? I watched Me and You and Everyone We Know a few or so years ago... maybe even a couple times.  I liked it quite a bit then ,but couldn't tell you why beyond that it was different, eccentric, and interesting. Since we started this group, I thought it would be a good one to revisit since nobody else here has seen it and give a bit more thought as to why I gave it a high rating.

Miranda July's feature debut seems like one of those 'love or hate' it things.  It's a mix of small stories, varied characters and quite a bit of awkwardness. There aren't any high profile actors, with July herself playing one of the leads. John Hawke is the only recognizable, as you may have seen him in Lost, Deadwood, East Bound and Down, or Lincon. While some will find the conversation to be smart and interesting, others will see it as dull and too drawn out at times. You can find me in the former camp, but definitely felt lulled a couple of times. I like the overall pace of the movie as it actually felt like a pretty quick ~90 minutes.

I thought the acting was pretty solid overall. Hawkes and the young actors stood out the most, but I didn't feel that anybody was horrible. July may have been the weakest, but I think her character was a portrayal of herself in many ways, so it worked.

The score was especially strong for me. Apparently most of it was done on a single keyboard. It was never distracting, but was certainly noticeable a few times... but in a positive way.  It flowed well with how I felt throughout the movie, especially during any awkwardness.

Most of this film's delight, I think, relies on its subtext and constant reminders of the general theme here.  For me, the movie is simply about people and connecting with others. I hesitate to say relationships, as I don't feel like the point relies on any sort of familiarity or longevity between the people. Be it face to face, through art, jokes, innuendos, chat rooms, shared interests, or lighting your hand on fire... people are trying to connect, and pass the time. People are individuals and we all have our own intricacies, interests and issues.  From the right views... we're all pretty much the same at a distance. Peter points this out specifically in his punctuational printout as everyone is nothing more than a spot of ink, but in different positions and in approximations to each other.  We all need to come to grips with ourselves...and even when we finally have most of that figured out... we want to share it with others. The film shows that this is something we all go through and struggle with, regardless of age, gender, profession, etc. It instantly made me think of a quote that I've seen tossed around the internet a few times (although, Dr. Seuss did not say/write it):

"We’re all a little weird. And life is weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutual weirdness and call it love." 

 - Robert Fulgham, True Love

I think it's a generally optimistic film... leaving us with a rising sun in contrast to the sunset in the very first shot.  We won't make all the right connections and often won't go about making them in the right way, and many times we'll even try to avoid them for some reason... but we continue to make them, feel a need for them and hope that some stick and provide a bit of happiness.

Many of us look for certain scenes to really stand out. I think the film definitely had a couple, but the most notable for me was Christine's and Richard's walk to their cars. This is one of the more important conversations, I think, as they compare their walk to a relationship. Each sees Tyrone St at a different distance, other people would likely see it differently than them. It encompassed the point of the movie in a well written, well shot, and well executed scene.

I've gone on quite a bit, so I won't dive into each separate story or other individual scenes yet. But there are definitely some interesting scenes, lines and characters. I expect there was a bit if discomfort from the chat room, signs in the window, and the park bench.  I think those scenes all provided an intentional sense of awkward tension, but were handled well.

 So, I'm sticking with my initial A- grade. Most components felt right and fit together well. I'm usually a fan of eccentric people and things, and this was no exception.