gianfra-06676
Most walked out disgusted, some repulsed by what they were seeing. There was one person to blame for this: Gaspar Noé, the director, who had previously tortured audiences with his shocking powerhouse Irreversible (aka Monica Bellucci getting raped by a disgusting gay pimp and getting avenged by Vincent Cassel and friend via fire extinguisher blow to the head to the power of 21, all with nausea- inducing imagery and horrific violence). But don't shoot the messenger: for Gaspar's film was merely acting as a window into the void that is the human experience. I don't know what high level (?) acting some were expecting on this film, it's not like regular individuals have Broadway-levels of expression or emotion on display whenever something happens to them, there are real life dead beats out there. Plus, it's not the acting that takes center stage here, it's the visuals, the seductively nightmarish neon splashes of immorality and fever dream- ish visuals. It's painful and sometimes dull to watch not because it's a badly written piece of cinema, but because it shows us the true nature of human interaction, the black hole that is life (especially if you're an incestuous junkie with nothing better to do than getting high and leading a life of crime, sin, and overall meaninglessness). With this film, you are entering the void, and you may never return from it. An assault on the senses, a masochistic experience, but a very educational one at that. Weirdly enough, this film did not make me into an edgy nihilist, but instead taught me (in its own intense way) to appreciate life more than I did before, and compelled me to make the most of it. Definitely not a film for the faint of heart, the easily offended, or the snobbish progressive that can't comprehend that debauchery and moral relativism do not equal happiness, fulfillment, or meaning (they can't stand licentiousness being cast in a negative light, and will promptly jump to condemn the film for being too "judgemental" and "self-righteous", as if indulging in selfish hedonism without any moral guidance wasn't a bad thing in and of itself).
galdagabor
I enjoyed it, VERY much. The colors and the camera-work are mesmerizing, feels like everything is real although everything feels to be surreal. It was really a mind-blower, but in a slow, calm and gorgeous way. The length of the movie gives justice, every second is either beautiful or interesting. I HAD to light some cigarettes twice during the movie, but not because it is boring, but because you just feel like you MUST light some cigarettes. It is all about the atmosphere this movie has. It is a bit art film, but that's only a good thing. I recommend it to everyone who want to watch something out of the ordinary, watch something messy yet well-understandable, and just want to chill out a bit, perhaps.
johndfox
Enter the Void is a flawed, but deeply disturbing and powerful film that will almost certainly stay with you for a very long time. Through the use of superb camera-work, an unnerving ambient score and a powerhouse performance Paz De La Heurta, director Gaspar Noé sucks us into a very dark place. Of course, it is impossible to talk about the film without mentioning its fantastic first person opening sequence, chronicling the last half hour of protagonist Oscar's life. We see him take a strange hallucinogenic drug, before leaving his house and going to meet his friend, all the while being presented with a disjointed, and at times highly existential inner monologue. This scene is, for lack of a better word, astonishing, and more than sets the tone for the surreal nightmare to come. From then on, the camera, perhaps a representation of the protagonist's spirit, moves freely through space and time, never confined to one place, almost as though it were some kind of omniscient being. We are also presented with psychedelic, almost headache inducing strobe lights set against an oppressive red colour palette, which, perhaps in an inferior film, would be no more than a gimmick to masquerade artistic prowess. In this, however, the lighting serves to highlight the despair and misery the characters are living through, as we, like the protagonist watch in horror, unable to save them from their inevitably unpleasant fate. The performances are, in general, pretty good. Nathaniel Brown is convincing as Oscar, playing somebody who, while devoted to his sister's well-being, gives very little regard to the lives of others. The only performance that I would call bad comes from Cyril Roy, playing his friend, who, intentionally or otherwise, comes across as detached from the situation around him, and unable to speak without sounding slurred. The standout, however, comes from the aforementioned Paz De La Heurta, playing Oscar's damaged sister Linda, the emotional anchor of the film. She portrays someone who, though innocent at first, becomes increasingly aware, and disturbed, at the nightmarish situation she's in, and increasingly desperate for some sort of escape. All this is done with a raw emotional intensity that you simply would not see in a more mainstream film. This film is, of course, far from perfect. Its biggest flaw lies in its borderline excessive run-time, which could have been reduced drastically had Noé removed a few unnecessary scenes, or, alternatively, cut a few short. Around halfway through, we are shown a shortened version of the opening scene again, only without the first person perspective. This could have been shortened quite easily, by showing only the most crucial moments, before moving on. Towards the end, Noé starts recycling and re-purposing the same type of shot, finishing, quite disappointingly, with a visually stunning, though overlong sequence that detracts from the emotional climax of the film. Despite an overstretched run-time and occasional moments of weakness, Enter the Void is essential viewing for anyone interested in surreal, unsettling cinema. Obligatory rating: 8.5/10
