I've seen enough movies from A24 to place great trust in any films they're involved in producing or distributing. To date I've seen only a couple of filmmaker Gaspar Noé's other movies; I thought 'Irreversible' was good, if broadly too unremarkable and specifically too sadistic, while I found 'Enter the void' to be dull overindulgence - a good idea for a short film that was erroneously expanded to almost three hours. I'll watch almost anything, however, and I strive to find the value that anyone has to offer, so given an enticing premise for 'Climax,' how could I refuse? It takes awhile for its worth to present itself, but when all is said and done, the profit here as a viewer is well worth the price of admission, and this is easily the best of Noé's films I've seen so far.
It's worth observing that as the picture first begins, the first impression it makes is unfortunately a bad one. Whoever was responsible for designing the subtitles in 'Climax' should reexamine their choice in careers, for the text built into the feature is so ridiculously small that I think only those with eyesight that's far better than average have a real chance of catching every word. In fairness, this stylistic decision may have been deliberate, for ultimately the characters and dialogue are mostly superfluous. This is a movie that is, specifically, very visual in nature, and the details of who characters are or what they're saying to one another don't matter a whole lot. On the other hand, given that these two aspects were accordingly improvised by the largely non-professional cast, given free reign to create as they would, it seems a disservice to them to have so heavily deemphasized the work they put in. I don't necessarily like the choices they made as such, but I admire the approach and the effort all the same, and it's a pity all this was downplayed so much. To speak off the cuff, right away, about the subtitles may superficially seem like nitpicking, but in this instance I feel like it's surprisingly revealing, one way or another.
Put these revelations aside, and there's a great deal to like about 'Climax.' At its best Benoît Debie's cinematography, and Noé's direction from a standpoint of arranging shots and scenes, is utterly brilliant and inspired. The long shots, tracking shots, freely moving cameras, and unconventional angles are all fantastic. I love the art direction, the costume design, the hair and makeup work, and the use of lighting. Not least with an ensemble predominantly comprised of dancers, the artistry and physical prowess the cast demonstrates with their improvised moves is extraordinary - a real treat; would that we'd gotten still more. Moreover, as the course of events takes a turn, the cast demonstrate a marvelous fierceness in their acting that's delicious; Sofia Boutella is the one person here who is at all familiar to me, but as fine an actor as she is, in 'Climax' she's hardly alone. Even the manner in which the credits are displayed are unorthodox, but inventive and enticing in its own right. And it should be said - the music assembled for the soundtrack is fabulous, rich and invigorating, adding tremendously to the somewhat delirious viewing experience.
With all this having been said, there's a decided lack of narrative in the feature, but nor does it especially need any. The premise quite speaks for itself - a dance rehearsal that devolves into a nightmare with the addition of spiked drinks - and all the details that round out the content appear to have been conjured on the spot between Noé and his cast. My commendations to them all, for while the film is split into discrete halves, and the first is troubled from a standpoint of attaining and sustaining viewer engagement, the second half handily compensates for it. As 'Climax' takes a turn, and the characters all experience meltdowns, the resulting portraiture is pointedly unsettling if not altogether disturbing. The cast spiritedly embrace the madness, and those fundamental elements of film-making that already impressed in their own right are likewise employed to ever more imaginative ends, amplifying the genuine sense of horror that arises from the grim tableau. This neatly fits the bill as psychological horror, only, it's atypically unbothered about how the breakdown is depicted.
The greatest fault of Noé's movie is the considerable imbalance. That the full second half of 'Climax' is so good is wonderful; that it is necessary to pick up so much slack from the first half is frustrating. The poorly designed subtitles are especially notable given the wealth of early dialogue and character development that is later dispensed with entirely. The dancers get their time to shine both as non-professional actors and with their chief skill set; would that we'd have gotten more of the latter, and less of those bits which are all but entirely discounted. The first 45 minutes or so come off as a bit of a slog, requiring patience, and not particularly demanding active engagement (or even discouraging it). Again - all congratulations for what is done well here, but the unevenness is a glaring flaw that nonetheless detracts from the whole.
Still, much more so than not, I find myself thoroughly entertained and invested, and the payoff is worthwhile. Where 'Irreversible' and 'Enter the void' both failed to earn my favor in various ways, with 'Climax' Noé unquestionably illustrates the ingenuity as a filmmaker and a storyteller that in my mind at last makes him worthy of his reputation. Hereafter I hope to watch more of his pictures, and I hope he impresses elsewhere in his oeuvre. Even if not, though, this one title already feels like a diamond mined from less than shimmery environs. Characterized by stupendous camerawork, superb contributions from the cast, and a sincerely disquieting prolonged "narrative" peak, 'Climax' is an excellent, absorbing slice of underhanded horror that deserves more recognition.
It's worth observing that as the picture first begins, the first impression it makes is unfortunately a bad one. Whoever was responsible for designing the subtitles in 'Climax' should reexamine their choice in careers, for the text built into the feature is so ridiculously small that I think only those with eyesight that's far better than average have a real chance of catching every word. In fairness, this stylistic decision may have been deliberate, for ultimately the characters and dialogue are mostly superfluous. This is a movie that is, specifically, very visual in nature, and the details of who characters are or what they're saying to one another don't matter a whole lot. On the other hand, given that these two aspects were accordingly improvised by the largely non-professional cast, given free reign to create as they would, it seems a disservice to them to have so heavily deemphasized the work they put in. I don't necessarily like the choices they made as such, but I admire the approach and the effort all the same, and it's a pity all this was downplayed so much. To speak off the cuff, right away, about the subtitles may superficially seem like nitpicking, but in this instance I feel like it's surprisingly revealing, one way or another.
Put these revelations aside, and there's a great deal to like about 'Climax.' At its best Benoît Debie's cinematography, and Noé's direction from a standpoint of arranging shots and scenes, is utterly brilliant and inspired. The long shots, tracking shots, freely moving cameras, and unconventional angles are all fantastic. I love the art direction, the costume design, the hair and makeup work, and the use of lighting. Not least with an ensemble predominantly comprised of dancers, the artistry and physical prowess the cast demonstrates with their improvised moves is extraordinary - a real treat; would that we'd gotten still more. Moreover, as the course of events takes a turn, the cast demonstrate a marvelous fierceness in their acting that's delicious; Sofia Boutella is the one person here who is at all familiar to me, but as fine an actor as she is, in 'Climax' she's hardly alone. Even the manner in which the credits are displayed are unorthodox, but inventive and enticing in its own right. And it should be said - the music assembled for the soundtrack is fabulous, rich and invigorating, adding tremendously to the somewhat delirious viewing experience.
With all this having been said, there's a decided lack of narrative in the feature, but nor does it especially need any. The premise quite speaks for itself - a dance rehearsal that devolves into a nightmare with the addition of spiked drinks - and all the details that round out the content appear to have been conjured on the spot between Noé and his cast. My commendations to them all, for while the film is split into discrete halves, and the first is troubled from a standpoint of attaining and sustaining viewer engagement, the second half handily compensates for it. As 'Climax' takes a turn, and the characters all experience meltdowns, the resulting portraiture is pointedly unsettling if not altogether disturbing. The cast spiritedly embrace the madness, and those fundamental elements of film-making that already impressed in their own right are likewise employed to ever more imaginative ends, amplifying the genuine sense of horror that arises from the grim tableau. This neatly fits the bill as psychological horror, only, it's atypically unbothered about how the breakdown is depicted.
The greatest fault of Noé's movie is the considerable imbalance. That the full second half of 'Climax' is so good is wonderful; that it is necessary to pick up so much slack from the first half is frustrating. The poorly designed subtitles are especially notable given the wealth of early dialogue and character development that is later dispensed with entirely. The dancers get their time to shine both as non-professional actors and with their chief skill set; would that we'd have gotten more of the latter, and less of those bits which are all but entirely discounted. The first 45 minutes or so come off as a bit of a slog, requiring patience, and not particularly demanding active engagement (or even discouraging it). Again - all congratulations for what is done well here, but the unevenness is a glaring flaw that nonetheless detracts from the whole.
Still, much more so than not, I find myself thoroughly entertained and invested, and the payoff is worthwhile. Where 'Irreversible' and 'Enter the void' both failed to earn my favor in various ways, with 'Climax' Noé unquestionably illustrates the ingenuity as a filmmaker and a storyteller that in my mind at last makes him worthy of his reputation. Hereafter I hope to watch more of his pictures, and I hope he impresses elsewhere in his oeuvre. Even if not, though, this one title already feels like a diamond mined from less than shimmery environs. Characterized by stupendous camerawork, superb contributions from the cast, and a sincerely disquieting prolonged "narrative" peak, 'Climax' is an excellent, absorbing slice of underhanded horror that deserves more recognition.