Holy Motors (2012)

Oscar: a person in a limo with a number of appointments arranged by the “Office”. Appointments which are extremely different between them. Oscar changes faces, clothing, attitude, posture, everything. Oscar becomes totally different every time to accommodate the needs of its next role.

He must be a banker, a beggar, a dancer  using a motion capture uniform, a repulsive inhuman grotesque figure, a father, a musician, etc. Time is always against him. He must fulfill all these appointments within a day. A feast driven by his desire to “disguise” himself.

Does it ring a bell? Holy Motors  is an allegory :). My interpretation follows … My suggestion: read it after you’ve seen the film.

The Firemen’s Ball (1967)

The Firemen’s Ball is an allegory filmed bi Milos Forman in 1967 which is more than contemporary in 2012.
Another (or the only?) aspect of the reasons we face a world wide financial crisis: you may see it in different scales. The outcome is the same 🙂

My rating: 10/10

Cosmopolis (2012)

Cosmopolis is not an easy film to watch if its essence is to be understood. David Cronenberg created an allegory of the current western civilization status. The story of the movie teeters between explicitly defining the origins of our world’s troubles and using a symbolic language to say the rest of the story.

Unlike other symbolic films, the story of the film at a first level may be followed. Is not that intriguing though. Its beauty lies in the next level where its real meaning comes to light.

My rating: 07/10

The Skin I Live In (2011)

 It’s being two weeks since I’ve seen this film. It’s being almost two years since I started this blog because of another Almadovar film! Yet, there were so many things that were unanswered in my mind about it. Things that kept me from writing this post, till now.

This film may be considered as being … two films! The first one, is the obvious story unfolding before our eyes as the plot progresses. Pedro Almodóvar is a master in surprises, guaranteeing that beneath the surface that we see, there are things we hardly expect to find. Actually, by contemplating the totally unexpected, one may find himself close to the director’s vision! There is an excellent setup, justifying the motives and actions of the film’s heroes. Situations that one is totally unaware of, actions that have an enormous and unexpected impact in the lives of people involved, disproportional prices to be paid… Just seeing the first level of the film, is a rewarding experience. One may think that it is nothing more than a tale on vengeance. There are some questions emerging however… The end of the film is one of them.

The second film is an allegory, the true meaning building on the presented story. This is presented below. In my humble opinion, one must see the film first and contemplate on it for some time before proceeding with the post 🙂 The rating is at the end.