So what words could I use to describe this movie. "Utter shit"... "psychedelic trip"... "failure"... "perhaps over my head"... or maybe "sucks balls". Well you can see from those words, all true, that I didn't like this movie. Actually it was probably the most infuriating film I've seen in years. I've never been a fan of style of substance and this is the greatest example of that. They style is great, some of the best I've seen. The substance on the utter hand is also some of the worst I've seen. The story will bore you to a point of drowsiness. I'll admit that this was my third attempt to watch the film and I actually finished in it this time. The first two times I'd fall asleep about half an hour in. The difference between the third time is that I had some Mountain Dw in me and got up every time my eyes felt heavy. Finishing the movie was not something I enjoyed doing.
The film is about a drug dealer in Japan. His name is Oscar but he might as well be you. The film is entirely in first person. This means either the camera is his eyes (we even see him blink) or we only see the back of his head. The problem I have with this is that Oscar is one of the most dull character's I've seen. Not only dull but I couldn't stand him. We are suppose to see his life and even at the low points the audience is suppose to sympathize with Oscar. I could give two shits about him and all the changes he's makes are terrible. The film has almost zero character development and what we do see made me either smirk or roll my eyes. Sorry to digress, anyway, Oscar lives with his sister Linda. She is about as interesting as a cylinder block. Oscar goes out one night to drop off some drugs and after being set up gets shot dead. He now floats around as a ghost and follows the lives of those he left behind. Here's something positive worth talking about. The cinematography is gorgeous and the weightlessness makes you feel the costly affects. Oscar travels through the past, present and the future. His past does nothing for the audience as they try to shove emotions that aren't there down our throats. The future is confusing and the present is dreadful. I would like to make clear that present is awful not because of the events, but they are pretentious and dumb.
Cinematography and originality are the only things worth talking about that aren't negative aspects. I already talked about camera work so lets move onto the later. Werner Herzog once said that as a people we are starved of new images. Gasper Noe the director wants to fix this I think. However this is not through intriguing ideas and stimulating the brain but by shocking us. "Irreversible" is a "odd" film that has an ending I think to shock us rather than us to feel something emotional. The images in "Enter The Void" are here to shock us as would a slasher jumping out at us in some crappy torture movie. I commend Noe for trying something new, he has succeeded. Yet his original ideas are idiotic, slow and like I said boring. If he wanted to make a statement about life, he's succeeded to some. Many are split on this film and may be the best example too for the "love it or hate" it argument. To me it's a painful 2:30 hours (WAY TO LONG!). Also I'm not too sure if this something that should improve my thoughts on the film but it does. The opening credits are marvelous and entrancing. If the film had that much excitement I'm sure I'd love it rather than groan when thinking about it.
The ending is perhaps one of the most bold and worst I've ever seen. So spoiler alert! The final 20 minutes are Oscar as a ghost (or you depending on how the audience views it) as he goes into a hotel. This is a sex hotel where everybody is doing the nasty. Well he see many couples doing it in many positions. The kick is that their genitals aren't visible because they are coved in a glowing light. Remember how I said Gasper Noe wants to shock us. This is what I'm talking about. The symbolism if there is anything worth talking about is lost on me. There is the question of life here but honestly what's happening on screen gives off only the vaguest clues to that. I wasn't sure if I should be laughing or rolling my eyes. The ending is atrocious and deserves all the worst things said about it.
If the theme of your film is emptiness then they sure have done that. Noe has made me care absolutely nothing for his movie. If you want a style like this then watch "The Tree of Life" or "2001: A Space Odyssey", two far superior films. I'd even suggest going to see a laser floyd show cause that is more psychedelic. I love a depressing movie probably more than the next guy. "Enter The Void" would rather you be depressed than actually feel anything for the film though. Gasper Noe doesn't know the difference between powerful images and images we are distraught to see. This film is a acid trip without the acid. So you've taken out the fun and left us with a hollow bastion of self loathing and horrendous film.
5/10
Recommendation: Love it or hate it is you options. A psychedelic trip for those who want one. Don't say I didn't warn you.
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