This film is an "absurdist" film where NOTHING makes any sense and people react irrationally throughout--and this IS the intention of the writers. This style of film making isn't super popular--at least not when it is carried to such an extreme as in this film. I could see by the ratings that many liked this experimental-type film--I just thought it was stupid. I'm either a Philistine or the little boy yelling that the emperor has no clothes. Read on and you decide.
Okay, on to the plot. Instead of trying to describe it (that would be VERY hard), suffice to say that every time something occurs, people react to that action in an unpredictable or contradictory way. This is supposed to be artsy and deliberately confusing and provocative to the viewer. I guess I'm just too weird and narrow-minded--all I really want out of a movie is something I find watchable.
Let me give you an example: The main character's wife is murdered. This comes completely out of the blue. When the police show him to the battered corpse, he reacts with no real emotion--more like you would expect him to react when he is buying a loaf of bread. A little bit later, a stranger knocks on the door and identifies himself as the man who murdered the wife. So, what does the husband do?! He asks him to come in and have dinner with him. Then, they go on a series of completely disconnected adventures that make NO SENSE at all. This just made my brain hurt.
Yes, yes, yes--I KNOW the Absurdists make "art" like this just to get these sort of reactions out of the viewers. But what's next--having chimps in art galleries flinging poo at the patrons or releasing bees into a maternity ward?! Yeah, these will also baffle and confuse and alienate people, too. But is that what we want from movies? As for me, certainly NOT. An absurdist film CAN be worthwhile if it is confusing and provocative as well as interesting OR funny. This movie was just stupid.
PS--if you actually enjoy this sort of nonsensical film, then try watching SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR--both films are very similar on many levels.
Okay, on to the plot. Instead of trying to describe it (that would be VERY hard), suffice to say that every time something occurs, people react to that action in an unpredictable or contradictory way. This is supposed to be artsy and deliberately confusing and provocative to the viewer. I guess I'm just too weird and narrow-minded--all I really want out of a movie is something I find watchable.
Let me give you an example: The main character's wife is murdered. This comes completely out of the blue. When the police show him to the battered corpse, he reacts with no real emotion--more like you would expect him to react when he is buying a loaf of bread. A little bit later, a stranger knocks on the door and identifies himself as the man who murdered the wife. So, what does the husband do?! He asks him to come in and have dinner with him. Then, they go on a series of completely disconnected adventures that make NO SENSE at all. This just made my brain hurt.
Yes, yes, yes--I KNOW the Absurdists make "art" like this just to get these sort of reactions out of the viewers. But what's next--having chimps in art galleries flinging poo at the patrons or releasing bees into a maternity ward?! Yeah, these will also baffle and confuse and alienate people, too. But is that what we want from movies? As for me, certainly NOT. An absurdist film CAN be worthwhile if it is confusing and provocative as well as interesting OR funny. This movie was just stupid.
PS--if you actually enjoy this sort of nonsensical film, then try watching SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR--both films are very similar on many levels.