Cannes 2022 Dispatch #2
Decision To Leave
dir. by Park Chan-wook
One of South Korea and world cinema’s most well known and respected filmmakers, Oldboy director Park Chan-wook, who’s early films are partly responsible for putting the countries films on the world stage, has been imbuing his latest works with a Hitchcockian thriller/romance to great effect. In one way or another, all of his films deal with human connection being rooted in some level of perversity or morally complex parable—his latest tying it neatly to the framework of a taut police procedural. What makes it most interesting is also what will most make it divisive; this is not a traditional ‘whodunnit’ and the particular trappings for our lead Detective Hae-Jun (Park Hae-il) are not so much rooted in who the suspect is, what he knows or can prove about them; and more so examining how he feels about them.
Naturally we start off with a death, or possible murder, as must be determined by our lead and his colorful if evaporative cast of coworkers in the precinct. A man having fallen of a cliffside to his death, and his wife (Tang Wei) who is a suspect at first, and later becomes central to the ideas being worked through in the piece. It’s rather difficult to talk about this film without spoiling the core ideas being mined here, other reviews I’ve read reveal more plot than I’d have liked before seeing the film. So rather than spoil a movie that will be released who-knows-when by MUBI, this will remain short and broad. The film is a psychological, complex procedural that reckons with a detective that may ultimately not want to solve the crime and a criminal who wants to be seen and may even want to be caught. How their relationship and his cases evolve, the complex nature of his emotions married to the ethical quandary the detective finds himself in, is told with a certain level of uncharacteristic restraint from Park.
Although this movie may lack the comic-yet-gritty violence of Oldboy, the disturbed and overtly sexual perversity of The Handmaiden, or the sickening world and characters that inhabit the other two “Vengeance” movies, some of his core touchstones still shine through. Namely that jet black comedy that permeates all his work, which can cut through any scene of tension or drama like a knife; and of course the precision and control that he always brings. His attention to detail, particularly with tuning performances in exacting fashion, sure handed camera placement and movement, and the occasional visual or design flourishes that stick out. Though I do wish that it did do a bit more of the latter. Both leads are excellent and its likely no secret the film is very much bolstered in the evolution of how their lives begin to intertwine (and also how they don’t) and they really enrich the complexity of both characters in dynamic ways. It’s of course then no surprise that Park won best director for the film, and it feels completely earned. Our cast in general are all great, as Park doesn’t really know how to direct bad performances, but being that this film isn’t really about them they do sort of disappear throughout.
The film smartly employs lead actress Tang Wei’s Chinese background, and the varied interrogation scenes involve the use of both Chinese and Korean and that playful use of language, miscommunication; saying one thing but meaning another, adds even more layers to the scenes and characters. Though it did feel as though this film could have done a bit more to feel less reserved, and I think that’s what those that found this mildly disappointing had hooked onto. It is lacking a certain over the top provocation and more overtly moral complications that may be expected of his work as mentioned. Difficult to say much more without digging in further than I’d like to, suffice to say that this was riveting throughout and by the end the film evoked emotions that were deep, difficult, and thought-provoking and it was easily one of the best films at the festival.
Score: 8/10
Irma Vep Limited Series
dir. by Oliver Assayas
World renowned french director Oliver Assayas revisiting his already deeply self reflexive and meta 1996 film of the same name and remaking it as a limited series, was perhaps the most fascinating announcement from the Cannes line up that also felt like nobody was talking about. Perhaps because it came with the somewhat required viewing of the original, as we all know nobody hates watching movies more than self proclaimed movie lovers, or perhaps due to worries of it feeling incomplete as they showed three (3!) episodes. The original starred the incredible Maggie Cheung playing herself, just arriving on set for a role in a remake of a silent (and seminal) film titled ‘Les Vampires’. Yes, the galaxy brain pitch is that it’s an Assayas series about remaking his own film about the remake of a film in the middle of the remake era and it honestly kind of fucking rules. Much of its strengths are in how it both reshapes and expands on the core ideas and explorations that bolstered the original.
The original film came out in a time where Assayas argued that french and contemporary cinema was becoming stagnant, obvious, corporatized; regurgitating old ideas if not outright redoing them. It shows us as much through its colorful array of in-the-biz characters and its satire of creative types, the various machinations that are the film production machine and the movie marketplace. The original aimed more at the cultural crossover and emerging box office titans that are Hollywood and Hong Kong, and wryly, woefully, mocked the steadily declining health of the independent film scene. Logic follows that its 2022 reimagining would not be a small 100 minute indie film, but rather a series you can stream from your couch, produced for media mega-giant HBO. Just like the original, it revolves around an exciting but struggling emerging director remaking the incredibly long silent film ‘Les Vampires’ with the titular Irma Vep being played by Alicia Vikander, though her character is given a name this go as Mira. The show, in its dry humorous way, depicts the varying degrees of struggles that come with trying to make a film and the types of characters that make up that world.
Of course the era this remake comes out in requires updating the material, replacing the HK-Hollywood star era that stood in the original is the modern age of franchise films, intellectual property, sequels and of course comic book movies. Much like Binoche in Assayas’ also terrific work Clouds of Sils Maria, Mira is cynical and dispassionate about being a star in an apparently huge comic book movie franchise vehicle titled Doomsday. Between the shows recreations of the 1920’s ‘Les Vampires, the more filmic cinematography when shooting scenes for the remake, and of course the “real world’s” naturalism and playfulness, there are so many effortful design flourishes, camera shifts, and filmmaking choices throughout that enhanced the experience throughout and I felt very lucky being able to see this in such a great theater. Most accomplished, must be, the many scenes that involve the actual production and shooting of the scenes for ‘Les Vampires’ where the show’s extended runtime allows for the formalism to shine.
Assayas can be can considered a rather heady director, interested in intellectualism, studying of text, and of opinionated crosstalk and discussion. Though he’s also able to provide sharply composed genre pieces, most of note 2002’s techno-horror nightmare Demonlover. Which makes Irma Vep perfect material to marry his sensibilities, allowing for him to smartly balance between his quietly observed textual qualities and the virtuoso handheld realism that both juxtapose and blend in enthralling fashion. But even more so is the continued, deeper level the work carries as being self reflective, and self reflexive, for the writer/director and the way it blurs its mocking imitation with the real world pointedly feels rich even still. The vision’s meta nature feels unique while also fitting squarely as a piece about an artist returning to reflect on his work and what it means to him, in the context of the film, and of the world. But even beyond that, because of the extra time given in a series, Assayas is allowed to wander and digress; explore and deepen the characters and the approach. We’re allowed to see more of the spastic, hilarious director Rene Vidal (Vincent Macaigne) as he struggles with fighting for his artistic vision and against himself. Or the other actors in the films and their differing lifestyles, addictions, and romantic struggles that enrich the piece and the world. Mira is allowed more time to have an interior (perhaps mainly romantic) life as well of course, and her relationship involving her ex-assistant once again reminded of Clouds, regarding star-assistant relationships, the power dynamics involved, and what their shifting may bring forth. The relationship teased at early on between Mira and ex lover/assistant Laurie (Adria Arjona) is sexy, forbidden, and suggests a complicated history; the power games being displayed feel of note both informing us on Mira and her psychosexual tendencies and perhaps even commenting and deflating the stature of celebrity or world recognition. The show of course slowly crosses more characters in and complicates their relationships and situations more and more and was consistently engaging and hilarious throughout.
This was one of the best “things” I saw at the festival and I’m incredibly excited to see how everything comes together ultimately once all 8 episodes are released. This should be an easy winner for most; it’s slick and well shot, it’s funny, the actings terrific, Thurston Moore comes back to do the score and Alicia Vikander is super hot. It’s intelligent and purposeful and I hope it does well. The first episode is now streaming on HBO Max.
Triangle of Sadness
dir. by Ruben Ostlund
Swedens latest big breakout, Ruben Ostlund returns to Cannes for the first time since his 2017, Palm d’Or winning, amusing-if-wearisome satire of the modern art world, The Square. Unsurprising that his latest is another satire, this time with its aims set at the 1% and model/celebrity culture, with an un-healthy mix of gross out humor thrown in as well. It’s a social satire with the subtlety of a (literal) exploding toilet, as we follow our (sort of) two leads Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlib Dean) who play two models living in London who are seemingly going through (their version of) struggles, financially and in the relationship. They serve as our throughline in the piece as the film is episodic in nature, divided into three sections. Again I am feeling a bit guarded about what takes place in the back half of the film, and other publications seem to be willing to talk about the third act which I’m less inclined to. Which is interesting since I seem to like it considerably less than the field. Early on, we’re given brief glimpses of the male modeling world, runway culture, and model nightlife. All of which is certainly quite funny, and is told with a certain dry remove that does add to the comedy. But it also couldn’t help but feel tired and calling out the blatantly superficial, substance-less nature of the fashion industry feels like a critique from 2004 and it seemed like (and was) an indicator of what the experience, and issues, in this film were going to be. Perhaps updating the point of view, and folding in ideas regarding the presence of social media, being “internet famous”, etc. could have done more to carry these early segments.
Most of note in the first act, is Carl and Yaya’s date, and rather funny argument that ensue, which do well to inform about their strange, almost performative, relationship. But a lot of the first act does feel like preamble to get to where the movie really wants to go—the luxury cruise. Which is where a large bulk of the film takes place, and of which I will only talk about up until a certain point. Yaya gets invited to the cruise where she and Carl are clearly the youngest, and seemingly least affluent on board. Among the mix is the exact crowd you’re picturing, with white, whatever-the-hell salesmen and their trophy wives or aged, old-world (in the bad way) classically dressed up folk. Much of the first half of this film operates in an interesting, sparse fashion; with most of its writing and design resulting in scenes as little microcosms of social ineptitude and arrogance, operating almost like skits. Which slowly begin to color in the cast of characters aboard the boat, among which would be an elderly couple who built their fortune on the mass production of grenades, a mega-wealthy but lonely man, and my personal MVP of the movie a Russian fertilizer magnate.
Once aboard, besides getting a sense of the dynamics with the crew on board as well, it does feel like we’re still waiting for something still, which is mentioned by name quite few times while on board, the captains dinner. Sure enough our boozy, worn down captain is played by Woody Harrelson, and though the way the film drags its feet to introduce him is odd, the scenes between him and the aforementioned Russian shit-mogul were easily the hilight of the film. Our captains dinner is what eventually leads us down the path to so many extended scenes of toilet humor that I was shocked this was an In Competition film at Cannes, let alone the fact that it won the Palm d’Or. But perhaps it should have been obvious, as out of all the films I saw, this got the most response out of the crowd. Naturally the material certainly lends itself to that kind of experience more and it is Cannes after all, but that was some of the most uproarious laughter and applause at a film I’ve seen in recent memory. It does go to interesting places, the way the plot unfolds is consistently engaging, and the way dynamics are challenged is interesting which is why I’m being guarded here. But by the end this couldn’t help but feel like a rather insipid, limp critique that’s not as incisive, creative, or well written as it thinks it is. It was certainly funny, and I had a good time watching it with a fun crowd, but I don’t quite get the level of excitement or acclaim surrounding it. His previous film The Square is a good litmus test for where you’ll land with this one, as both are amusing two and half hour slogs critiquing the easiest targets this side of the Insane Clown Posse. I don’t get the Palm d’Or for The Square, and I don’t get it for this either.