David
Cronenberg is one of those filmmakers that makes films you either love or hate.
With films like The Fly, Naked Lunch, Dead Ringers, and Crash (one of my favorites),
there is usually no in-between with his style of storytelling.
His
latest effort is a cyber-thriller that's part Matrix, part Total Recall, and part
The Game. All of this combines for a film that works because of pure imagination
and a touch of originality.
Jennifer
Jason Leigh plays a computer game designer in the near future who tests her new
game, called Existenz, on a more-than-willing group of cyber-junkies. She soon
finds herself as the target of an assassination attempt.
Existenz
is very bizarre, but what gives the film its real kick is trying to figure out
what is part of the game and what is reality. Cronenberg is constantly criticized
for being over-the-top, but that's what sets him apart from other filmmakers.
You
can either love or hate him, but this film proves that Cronenberg is anything
but dull.
