Enter The Void (2009)

This is the strangest movie I've ever seen. Even the opening credits blew me away because of how strange and how amazingly good they are. The whole movie is depicted from the point of view of the main character. By this I don't mean that the cinematography represents the main characters viewpoint I mean it's as if the camera is exactly what he is seeing and the sound, what he is hearing. This might sound like it could get boring but it doesn't, trust me. I went into this movie experience knowing absolutely nothing about the film except that I had heard it was weird. I think that was a good way to see it so I don't want to elaborate a whole lot on the film because not being informed definitely impacted my viewing of it in a good way. That being said I'm going to apologize for any vagueness.

The main character is an unorthodox protagonist for a film. He's not really a hero but neither is he an anti-hero, if you met him in real life you might not want to be his friend but I don't think you'd find him particularly appalling either. If this film had been done much differently it would have been as boring as that sounds, but it's not. At times I wanted to stop the film and put on Jersey Shore just so I had something else to watch, but I couldn't. It pulls you in and leaves you in a stupor for the rest of the day. The script is sparse and light but the story is heavy and dark. The characters intertwine in ways neither you nor they are aware of or expect. A large amount of the film is psychedelic video art that reminds me of an exhibit I saw by Nam June Paik last year which made me rethink the boundaries of art. At times the movie does such a good job of this that it almost feels as if you are on copious amounts of hallucinogenic drugs wandering through Tokyo (something I've never done but I can only imagine it's something like this film). The rest of Enter The Void tells the life story of one person, from their point of view, in a completely non-linear fashion. I'm going to repeat myself, there is no succinct timeline for the film... at all, and the psychedelic scenes are mixed in with these already mixed up bits of life.

There are numerous reasons for why I shouldn't have liked this film but I did. The images and sounds are incredible, graphic, and vibrant; the story is unique, heartfelt, and disturbing as are the characters. The whole thing is incredibly sexual, violent, and surreal all at the same time. It leaves you wanting more and needing to shut down your brain at the same time. To conclude, you should see this, but do so knowing that it is going to take something out of you, you will be disturbed, and I can only hope you like it as much as I did, though I understand any body disliking it. It's not a movie that can described in any accuracy but must be seen to be understood.

WARNING: This movie contains a great deal of bright flashing lights and other visual effects that may induce an epileptic seizure.

Brick (2005)

Film-noir meets high school in this exciting and cinematically beautiful film from writer-director Rian Johnson. The film opens with Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), squatting in a sewage run off, staring at a young girl in a blue dress...who is lying face down, dead, in the stream of slow moving water. A single shot (below) tells you everything you need to know about the film: it's dark, it's sexy, it's a murder mystery. Turns out the girl is Emily Kostage (Emilie de Ravin), or "Em," Brendan's one true love. Now he's hellbent on finding the murderer(s) and getting his revenge. Along the way Brendan encounters all sorts of shady characters, all of whom fit both particular film-noir and high school stereotypes: the rich girl who's dating the jock/femme fatale, the school principal/meddling chief of police, the really weird kid who deals drugs/king pin gangster.

Man I just love this movie so freaking much. Sure, it can be a little melodramatic at times, and the dialogue at times can seem a little off, but c'mon, it's about teenagers. And watching this movie just gives me an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia, for both high school and the classic all-American genre. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was born for this role. The original score is absolutely magnificent. Breathtaking cinematography and brilliant editing. It can feel long at times, and definitely a little confusing, but the confusing part is really just part of the genre. Highly, highly recommended.

Wristcutters: A Love Story (2009) - No Longer on Instant Queue

I know, I know. The title of this movie conjures up images of angsty teenagers, doing tons of drugs and panicking over their sexual and emotional confusion, screaming and crying until they inevitably off themselves, fade to black, cue Dashboard Confessional. Shockingly enough, there's none of that in this relatively positive, upbeat, and very quirky comedy. Well, okay, there's a bunch of suicides, but allow me to elaborate. Within the universe of Wristcutters, committing suicide sends you indefinitely to a purgatory that is exactly like the real world, only it is dirtier, grayer, and lonelier (irony, nice). Zia (Patrick Fugit, Almost Famous) slits his wrists in his bathroom sink in the very first scene of the film, then suddenly finds himself in purgatory, where he must work at a hole in the wall Pizza joint to support himself. He makes a few friends, and together they decide to drive around the countryside looking for people they know, eventually meeting a strange and very wise man named Kneller, played by Tom Waits (of course).


This movie has an excellent cast of performers, in particular Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire), who plays a character basically modeled after the lead singer of Gogol Bordello. Speaking of which, the movie also has a fantastic soundtrack, mostly made up of artists who have killed themselves (excluding Gogol Bordello). One of my favorite things about the film is that every time a new character is introduced we are shown a flashback of his or her suicide, some of which are humorous, some of which not so much. Highly recommended if your looking for a quirky, indie, romantic comedy, that's a little bit dark and cryptic, but still makes you feel good. Whoever thought suicide could be heartwarming?