Category: Reviews

Gaspar Noé’s heartbreaking look at aging is a painfully accurate film from his unique catalog.

9.5/10

It is an understatement to say that I have been eagerly awaiting the release of the newest film from Gaspar Noé. If you have been keeping up with the site you can tell I wrote a whole retrospective series on the filmography of Gaspar Noé. It has all led up to this film and the upcoming US release of Lux Æterna. It is hard to discuss why I am so excited to watch a film about dementia. I promise you all, I am not a complete cynic to find enjoyment in watching incredibly depressing films. My maternal grandmother suffered from Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and since I was young I watched the decline of her brain to this terrible disease. I fear this disease so much because I have singlehandedly watched how it strips you of every inch of your agency. Therefore, it is easy to say that this film would hit close to home.

Vortex made its premiere out of competition at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. Gaspar Noé conceived this project after almost dying from a dangerous brain hemorrhage. The film is written and directed by French Argentine filmmaker Gaspar Noé. The film stars Dario Argento, Françoise Lebrun, and Alex Lutz as they portray an elderly couple who are facing the roughness of aging as their son maneuvers his problems too. The film is described by audiences, as the “tamest” of Gaspar Noé’s work while presenting the film in split-screen visual language.

In the story of Vortex, we follow an elderly couple who are only referred to by the names of him and her played respectively by Argento and Lebrun. Alex Lutz plays their son Stephane who is trying to find a solution to deal with his mother’s rapidly advancing dementia. Things are not easy for his father because he has heart-related health problems after suffering a stroke years ago. The mother is a psychiatrist and the father is a writer who is writing a book about films and dreams. Vortex’s story is one of aging, loneliness, and the fear of losing control.

Gaspar Noé reaches new heights in his new masterful work of art. The film works to break barriers within his expansive filmography, but it also excels in presenting one of the most intimate portrayals of dementia on film. Françoise Lebrun’s performance is masterfully heartbreaking as she pulls on every heartstring to convey the psyche of someone with this terrible disease. There is not a single moment where every stare does not effectively portray the loss of agency in Lebrun’s character. Dario Argento and Alex Lutz are not left behind in the shadows of Lebrun as they provide fantastic performances. Everyone in the film is working well together to turn in exemplary performances. The film’s visual language is stylistically exquisite with its use of split-screen as it effectively displays the disconnection from reality as our protagonists exist in the same space. Gaspar Noé undoubtedly crafts not just one of the greatest films in his catalog but of this year. 

The magic of Vortex is that it is not just a grim look at aging. The film is precise with tenderness and patience as it slowly uses its runtime to unravel its narrative. Its tracking shots linger longer than they need to as you consume the atmosphere in which the couple lives. Vortex manages to challenge conventional storytelling while delivering a film that speaks beyond its surface. A once-in-a-lifetime stylized work of art that could only be made by Noé. Everyone should be along for the ride of where Gaspar Noé will go after Vortex as he cements himself as the most versatile filmmaker working today.

Watch Vortex in theaters nationwide as it is being distributed by Utopia Movies.

Gaspar Noé’s Climax is a masterclass in the effectiveness of immersive storytelling.

In 2018, the world was introduced to the newest film from Gaspar Noé, Climax. Every day I carry with me the regret of not watching it at my local cinema when I had the chance. I went on two occasions to the cinema when they were playing it. I could have called an Uber and spent the day at the cinema to catch a screening, but I was not in the best of financial situations then (even though I am still not). To this day, I have yet to experience a film from Gaspar Noé on the big screen. Well, I hope to change that soon with Vortex releasing in the United States on May 6th. I waited until the film hit video on demand, and I swear that I checked pretty much every day for a release date. I ended up purchasing the film which is something I usually never do with films I have never seen. I have said this a lot during this retrospective series but I honestly feel this way when I say that I had never seen such an immersive experience as Climax.

Climax is the sixth feature film written and directed by French Argentinian master filmmaker, Gaspar Noé. The film is made up of mostly dancers/non-professional actors except for Sofia Boutella and Souheila Yacoub. The film is notoriously known for not having a script but mostly a 3-page outline. Actors were given freedom with their characters to decide where to take their journey. The film premiered during the Director’s Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival in 2018.

In Climax, we follow a group of French dancers who are celebrating before heading out on a tour in the United States. The film is inspired by real events that happened during the 1990s in France. Everything is going well at the party at first but as the drinks settled the dancers realize that their sangria was spiked with something. As the LSD starts the settle and the fun goes out the window, the dancers begin a descent into hell. All control is lost as the nightmare begins at the party and our dancers face the ugliness hiding in their group.

Climax is a story of jealousy, envy, and fakeness found within works of art. You would think that this group would be a cohesive unit. They are supposed to trust each other yet once the drinks and drugs settle the true colors of each person begin to show. The cinematography is a thing of beauty as it indulges in the same stylistic lighting found in his last films, but the long takes truly create the immersive experience of the film. The choreography is stellar during the two big dance numbers. Gaspar Noé once again shows his genius in choosing the right musical pieces to accompany his films. Even though this is Noé’s most accessible film to date it still finds its way to being unconventional. The creativity and originality in the approach find a way to grab the audience until it finally let’s go in the last ten minutes of the film.

Before we continue, I want to bring up an incredible film essay by JessFlix where they discuss the immersive horror of Climax. Something I noticed while discussing this film in 2019 was the ease with people saying that the film has no story. I could not disagree more, Climax’s story is one of what happens when artists build something together just to watch their faults bring it tumbling down. Of course, he will perfect this narrative when it comes to his latest film, Lux Æterna. Gaspar Noé’s films seem to concentrate more on the experience but the story is just as important within the film. Something that always fascinates me is the way that Noé is easily able to create the atmosphere of his films. In Climax, his use of long takes and obscure musical choices create an anxiety-inducing experience once we reach the second half. Gaspar Noé creates a perfect example of heaven and hell. In the first half, everyone seems to be okay with each other, of course, there are massive amounts of gossip flowing around but they all seem to participate with each other in their common love, the art of dance. Once we make it to the halfway mark at 47 minutes hell truly starts to sink in. A child is neglected and later dies because of their mother’s neglect. What is seen as an overprotective brother begins to unravel his incestuous predatory feelings towards his sister. All hell breaks loose and we are living in a nightmare created by the flaws of each of these people. What is Gaspar Noé trying to say with all this? Just as easy as it is for humans to create something they can easily destroy it. I think anyone who has ever been involved in a group effort can vouch for that. In the end, we find out who spiked the sangria but the problems within the dance group were present there way before the sangria was made. If 2001: A Space Odyssey is the ultimate trip then Climax is the ultimate nightmare.