The Void Has Been Entered

As many regular readers know, I am a huge fan of Gaspar Noe.  He is my favorite director period. I Stand Alone and Irreversible were brilliant cinematic pieces that were emotionally brutal and among the best films ever made.  As to be expected, I was looking very forward to Enter the Void.

I bought it as soon as I could, but waited to see it with Girl.  Special movie.  Special company.  It didn't matter that I had a splitting headache (in hindsight, it was a bad idea seeing it in that frame of mind).  I had waited far too many weeks for this.

The film is good.  Visually it is unlike anything ever seen before.  In time, this will become one of those "drug movies" (if it's not already at that place in cinematic cultdom).  It is an ambitious story, too, the likes of which is hard to pull off.  Had any other director attempted it, he or she would've failed.  That said, it is my least favorite of his films.

My first problem is with the length.  At around two hours and twenty minutes, it is way too long.  I know Noe is setting the mood, but there are some scenes that could have been cut in time with zero impact on the film. 

Then there is the fact that this movie did not grab me the way his other films have.  There are great, terrifying, tense scenes, but nothing gave me that kick in the stomach feeling that was standard with I Stand Alone and Irreversible.  Perhaps that is because we never get to really know Oscar.  Shot entirely from Oscar's perspective, the camera is the character, and therefore we don't get any real insight on him.  He reacts to every other character the same way.  It makes it hard to care for him.  Of course, that means most of our emotional currency is put on his sister ... and she is fairly one-dimensional, too.

There are Noe touches throughout the film.  Tunnel shots.  A camera that acts as if it is caught in a breeze.  The touches are purely cinematography related, however.  The story could've been done by anyone.  Not everyone could've pulled it off, though.

It may sound like I am utterly disappointed with the film.  I am not.  It truly is an amazing piece of art the likes of which has never been seen before and most likely will never be seen again.  Just look at these opening credits.  Hell, I've never seen something like this.



Enter The Void is a ground breaking film.  It is an important film.  It's just not Noe's best film.  Had I a chance, I would've watched it again today.  As it stands, I will take it in again soon ... without the headache.  I don't think my opinion will change much, but I know I missed something ... and those visuals were just too damn cool.

Entering the Void

As I was sick yesterday, I thought it would be a good time to do some comparison shopping on Enter the Void, due out 1/25/11.  I started, leaving Amazon for last, but in the meantime Amazon actually sent out one of those pre-order e-mails I rarely pay any attention to.  $14.99 for 160 minutes of non-stop, trippy Noe?  Throw one of the many books from my wish list on there and get free shipping?  Done.  I'm not the biggest fan of Amazon, but I do love seeing those boxes. 

The lights will be off that day.  The sound system in full effect.  Perhaps I'll abstain until the weekend and make it a Noe weekend with I Stand Alone and Irreversible bookending it.  (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest comes out the same day.  I may be getting that to review.)  The rest of you may be waiting for Red and Secretariat with the same sense of anticipation, but I think I can safely guarantee that at the end of the day, after watching the film, I'll be far more satisfied.

Enter the Void

Enter the Void, director Gaspar Noe's latest, is due out on DVD later this month.  I am a big fan of Noe, which means I'm salivating like a dog looking at a fresh leg to hump.  I expect great things from the man, and I have yet to be disappointed. 

The film never made it to my local theatre.  That is chiefly because a few years ago a new company bought it (based out of Oregon) with the motto of money first, art later.  We did, however, get The A-Team.  I didn't even see that the "good" theatre in Arcata got it.  I was invited down to Santa Cruz to take in a show, but timing didn't work out on that, though I believe it must have been spectacular on the big screen.

The usual outlets (Amazon and Diabolik) will have it, and I hear there are two different running lengths available, with the longer being the drug of choice in this case.  That makes it easily obtainable, but still frustrating for someone who wanted to see it as it should be seen.  I can't help but be a bit bitter thinking fans of things like Season of the Witch and Little Fockers never have this problem.

I will, of course, be adding this my collection.  I have considered buying a Blu Ray player specifically for this purpose, and may still do it.  It is that important to me.  Had our local theatre, Coming Attractions, the one where hot dogs look old and the staff barely pays attention to whatever you are saying, shown it, my money would've went there instead.  Coming Attractions, which goes out of its way on its site to link itself to the "acclaimed Oregon Shakespeare Festival by birthplace alone (an act of irony lost on anyone anxiously awaiting The Dilemma, has made it perfectly clear: the rabble is what it is after.  All the rest can go buy Blu Ray players.