Director: Leos Carax
Starring: Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, Eva Mendes, Kylie Minogue
Running Time: 111 minutes
Certificate: 18
Extras: Trailer, Conversation With Leos Carax At The Locarno Film Festival, Deleted Scenes
Often cinema-goers and film fans are treated as imbeciles; plot twists are sign posted, endings deconstructed and characters formulaic. But, every now and then a filmmaker dares to disregard common courtesy, and sense by allowing the audience to make their own mind up. With HOLY MOTORS Leos Carax (THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE, BOY MEETS GIRL) has done exactly that.
HOLY MOTORS is a ‘huh?’ movie: whilst watching you will constantly wonder what is going on and why it is happening, as not once are on-screen actions explained or taken as anything but the norm. The story, of sorts – a limousine picks Oscar (Lavant) up for work where he will spend the day transforming himself into various characters around Paris – doesn’t have a pay-off, it doesn’t follow a narrative arc; but whilst it may bewilder it also mesmerises.
Leos Carax’s script and direction are wonderfully realised, his main characters perfectly formed even if we have no idea of their motives. Denis Lavant’s lead performance is incredible, he embodies Oscar’s many personas and will make you believe what you’re seeing is real, and is ably supported by limo-driver Celine (Scob) who has the right level of intensity and caring to her persona. Odd roles for Eva Mendes and Kylie Minogue work, although Kylie’s obligatory song doesn’t, and the smaller roles are filled with tremendous talents.
Whilst it may beguile and confuse, HOLY MOTORS biggest success is making the audience care. Oscar troops around Paris doing odd things, but these activities are interspersed with moments of tenderness. Whether they are true or false is left to the audience to decide.
French cinema is oft-described as pretentious – THE THREE COLOURS TRILOGY, MONSIEUR HIRE. Those of that belief will not be won over by HOLY MOTORS, the preposterous premise and unbelievable ending putting paid to that, but those who open to its charms will be richly rewarded. With rich visuals, fantastic performances and a lovely, understated score HOLY MOTORS is as perfect a head-fuck as you could imagine.
Extras: An hour-long conversation with the director is excellent, whilst the deleted scenes are rightly not included, providing unnecessary padding.
HOLY MOTORS is released on DVD and Blu-Ray 28th January
