There's so much here; two fantastic performances from Pascale Bussières and Alexis Martin as the leads. A film that looks so sharp, so arresting (all the more impressive when you consider the modest budget). Bravura editing. A wonderful score. And even a sorta meta fascination as the full length feature debut of writer/director Denis Villeneuve.
And yet.....
Something about the narrative and its structure doesn't quite pay off, though there is enough going on that I've found myself subsequently asking myself "what was that about?" It starts with some high stakes tension, but reveals itself about 30 minutes in to be about something else. And the ending left me questioning what I should understand from what I had experienced. Maybe that's a good thing? But it felt a little muddled.
It may be retrospective justification but you can see the dazzling visual sense on display here. The scenes in the airport and in the desert stand out, but there are quieter scenes too of simply being alone at home where the framing, editing and score combine into a soothing, melancholic reverie.
But there are things that leave one trying to work them out; the onscreen dates that don't exist in real life, the recurrence of a car-related nose bleed, unexpected traumas and death.
Maybe it's about the lure of foreign destinations, and of the visions we have for our lives, and the disappointments and practicalities that come with realising both.
I don't know. I do know that the more i write, the more I think this is a movie that defies explanation, and you have to just experience it. What was it all about? I'm not sure. But I loved it.
And yet.....
Something about the narrative and its structure doesn't quite pay off, though there is enough going on that I've found myself subsequently asking myself "what was that about?" It starts with some high stakes tension, but reveals itself about 30 minutes in to be about something else. And the ending left me questioning what I should understand from what I had experienced. Maybe that's a good thing? But it felt a little muddled.
It may be retrospective justification but you can see the dazzling visual sense on display here. The scenes in the airport and in the desert stand out, but there are quieter scenes too of simply being alone at home where the framing, editing and score combine into a soothing, melancholic reverie.
But there are things that leave one trying to work them out; the onscreen dates that don't exist in real life, the recurrence of a car-related nose bleed, unexpected traumas and death.
Maybe it's about the lure of foreign destinations, and of the visions we have for our lives, and the disappointments and practicalities that come with realising both.
I don't know. I do know that the more i write, the more I think this is a movie that defies explanation, and you have to just experience it. What was it all about? I'm not sure. But I loved it.