eXistenZ (1999) Reviewed by Eugene Novikov http://www.ultimate-movie.com/existenz.html Member: Online Film Critics Society
Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jude Law, Ian Holm, Willem Dafoe. Rated R.
It's odd how movies tend come in pairs or in threes. Last year we had two asteroid movies and two computer animated movies about bugs open at about the same time, and many Hollywood analysts have commented on the strangeness of the situation. In 1999, we are lucky enough to receive three -- count 'em -- three movies about virtual reality and video games of the mind. The first of the group was The Matrix, an exquisite, exciting thriller that still sticks with me almost a month after I first saw it. In May, Roland Emmerich, director of the abysmal Independence Day and Godzilla will produce The Thirteenth Floor which seems very similar to The Matrix.
But even without having seen The Thirteenth Floor I can tell you right now that the weirdest of the bunch is far and away David Cronenberg's eXistenZ (pronounced sort of like "existence" but with the accent on the last syllable), a genuinely odd, sexually charged meditation on distortion of our perceptions, video games' increasing tendency to try and imitate reality as well as -- perhaps -- the fear of sex. It is a movie that exists in almost a dreamlike state, eminently watchable but too bizarre to really involve its audience personally. That is not a criticism, but only a statement.
Allegra Geller, a hot young game designer is ready to try out her new virtual reality game "eXistenZ," but not all goes as planned. Shouting out the kitschy slogan "Death to the Demon Allegra Geller," a visitor attacks with a gun made of flesh and bone. Fortunately, Geller and a guy named Ted (Jude Law) are able to escape and hide out.
The game controllers called fleshpods are likewise made of flesh -- they're living things. And to make sure that her game pod still works and that her game is safe inside it, Geller decides to play a round with Ted.
Even though that doesn't sound like much of a plot, it is and you'll understand why if you see this meticulously structured, deeply layered vision. Canadian director David Cronenberg, who made last year's controversially shallow Crash is out to frighten us in eXistenZ, with fittingly gory, convincing effects as well as spooky ideas running throughout the film.
Jennifer Jason Leigh gives an energetic performance as Allegra and the charismatic Jude Law plays the opposite of his self-confident Gattaca character in eXistenZ. Law's Ted is a video game virgin who is forced to learn fast to perhaps save himself and Allegra. Ian Holm has a terrific supporting role in the game -- he does a mean accent, even though I don't know what accent that was supposed to be.
eXistenZ is curiously alluring. Despite the occasionally repulsive gore, the movie's slow, steady pace and offbeat rhythm are almost hypnotic. David Cronenberg did a very good job of making me interested in the plot while keeping me slightly detached, at an observing distance, if you will, thus letting the story work as an allegory more than a horror film or a thriller.
Cronenberg's deftness behind the camera, attractive performances from the leads as well as a few subtle, hidden universal themes make eXistenZ a keeper. And if he doesn't go back to the likes of Crash, David Cronenberg is a keeper too. ©1999 Eugene Novikov‰
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==---------- http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews