Plots(1)
Gaspar Noé, the arch provocateur of New French Extremity responsible for Irreversible and Enter the Void, blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction in Lux Æterna, his ode to the suffering and sacrifices involved in the creation of art. French cinema icons Charlotte Gainsbourg and Béatrice Dalle, playing themselves, star as the lead actress and the director of an experimental film about witches. But as preparations for the shoot get underway, the increasingly chaotic production slowly unravels as egos and bitter resentments rise to the surface, threatening to derail the entire enterprise. Shot over just five days and largely improvised by the superlative cast, Lux Æterna is a powerful, hypnotic assault on the senses like no other, cementing Noé’s position as one of the most incendiary voices in cinema today. (Arrow Films)
(more)Reviews (3)
Lux Æterna offers a look behind the scenes of a smallish film production where everyone is shouting at each other, not knowing what’s going on and totally losing it. The more famous actors and actresses play themselves. In the film’s climax, Gaspar delivers a more-or-less meaningful closure followed by unforgettable closing credits, but as a whole, it’s horseshit, relying solely on the involvement of famous actors. [Cannes]
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Noé got a pile of money from Yves Saint Laurent with a single assignment: to make a short film cast with the brand’s faces. But, as expected, Noé did the whole thing his own way, so instead of a standard commercial stylised into a quarter-hour film, the result is a 50-minute auteur pun reminiscent of browsing Cahiers du Cinéma while tripping, where Noé pays tribute to the paramount creative vision which, despite the mad chaos and personal interest of individuals, gives rise to true works of art that will become milestones of cinema.
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I'm more excited for Noé's next full-length feature. This fun little project, funded by Yves Saint Laurent, feels like a waste of time and effort. Despite its short runtime, it’s unbearably talkative and dull. Béatrice Dalle was insufferable and currently tops my list of actresses I can't stand. I've seen about five films with her, and none have earned more than 2 stars from me — she should be a red flag to avoid watching. The true Noé moment comes only at the flashing finale, which still isn't as impactful as the epileptic scenes in his previous films. I'm torn between 1 and 2 stars, but I'll give it the higher rating for its intriguing depiction of the madness that can occur on a film set.
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