Opening 10 Oct 2024
Directed by:
Bertrand Bonello
Writing credits:
Bertrand Bonello, Guillaume Bréaud, Benjamin Charbit, Henry James
Principal actors:
Léa Seydoux, George MacKay, Guslagie Malanda, Dasha Nekrasova, Martin Scali
In different time periods, two characters reoccur. Beginning in the 20th century, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) meets Louis (George MacKay), who tries to remind Gabrielle of the times that they have already met. In this segment, Gabrielle works making dolls and enjoys painting their faces in a neutral expression. She eventually shows Louis the factory. During the visit, a fire starts, threatening them both. In the 2010 time period, Gabrielle is a photo model in Los Angeles. She is housesitting a beautiful luxury home when an earthquake hits, and she leaves the house. Outside, she meets Louis, a stranger who has been making videos of himself extolling his many virtues. The last period is 2044, when AI impacts everyday life; if you want to improve your work situation, you have to submit to a kind of purification that eliminates anxiety or strong emotions.
Not only does the film switch between time periods, mostly French is spoken until the characters say a few sentences in English. Language shifts with the times. The scene shifts to Gabrielle lying in a black tub of black water wearing a black dress. Another shift and she’s acting out a scene on a green backdrop. The stories can be confusing and perhaps you need to be familiar with the director/writer Bertrand Bonello, as well as the short story by Henry James, “The Beast and the Jungle,” to make sense of it all. Screening the film completely clueless, I just didn’t get it. (Mary Nyiri)
