This movie is not going to be for everyone. I'm sure that a lot of people will have turned this movie off at a particular scene of human-automobile coitus and shrugged this film off as another "weird foreign movie."
This is not an easy watch; Titane can be disturbing, violent, gross, and uncomfortable at times. But it's also exhilarating. What I appreciate the most about French (and frankly, international) cinema is that there's comfortability with the uncomfortable. This is not a movie that aims to please everyone, but it has a story to tell and ideas to convey, some of which are complicated and messy.
And yes, the weirdness is integral to this; Titane seeks to break down and examine societal norms around family, love, identity, and gender roles, and the bizarre storyline is a vehicle (pun intended) that allows us to do that. What's the point of cinema if we can't explore things off the beaten path?
There's so much this movie is about and so much I could say; but it all starts with the truly INCREDIBLE performances, specifically from Agatha Rouselle as our anti-hero, Alexia. She conveys an appropriate alien like demeanour; clearly disconnected from humanity and unable to connect with others. She's such an incredibly complex and layered character with so many facets. What's remarkable is that she does this with very little dialog. Her two solo dancing scenes as well (I mean, all of the dancing scenes really, and the music) were such excellent ways to convey deeper aspects of her character. She's a person who, as cold and heartless as she is, clearly craves human attention.
In contrast, Vincent Lindon as Vincent the firefighter is the exact opposite. He plays a character BURSTING with emotion, someone warm and kind, yet troubled and lacking in so many ways. His performance is the heart and soul of this film and many of its ideas are conveyed through him. His character essentially provides the thesis statement for the ultimate message of this film: love is the answer. Stripped away from societal expectations, from changing bodies, from haunted pasts, love is a guiding force that can help us deal with change and those different from us.
Could Titane's two halves - not literally, but I mean, thematically - have had a BIT more connective tissue? Yes. It does feel like a somewhat disjointed film, that could've had a different first act and been the same film.
I also felt that while the message and ideas of the film are well thought out, it does forget one kind of huge aspect that I think most people watching this film picked up on without even thinking about it: justice. It's nice that Alexia is loved and accepted? Sure. Is it also true she murders at least three perfectly innocent people in cold blood for no reason and should probably be held accountable? Sometimes, love isn't enough, and I appreciate that the film doesn't ask us to agree with its statement (Vincent is explicitly portrayed as a DAMAGED person, especially in the scene with the forest fire), but the lack of justice does muddy the message a bit.
Overall though, Titane is a fantastic example of grown up, audacious film making. As odd and off kilter as it is, it's a great example as to why, even if not as commercially successful, French cinema is so valuable to the world. Check this out, and keep an open mind!
This is not an easy watch; Titane can be disturbing, violent, gross, and uncomfortable at times. But it's also exhilarating. What I appreciate the most about French (and frankly, international) cinema is that there's comfortability with the uncomfortable. This is not a movie that aims to please everyone, but it has a story to tell and ideas to convey, some of which are complicated and messy.
And yes, the weirdness is integral to this; Titane seeks to break down and examine societal norms around family, love, identity, and gender roles, and the bizarre storyline is a vehicle (pun intended) that allows us to do that. What's the point of cinema if we can't explore things off the beaten path?
There's so much this movie is about and so much I could say; but it all starts with the truly INCREDIBLE performances, specifically from Agatha Rouselle as our anti-hero, Alexia. She conveys an appropriate alien like demeanour; clearly disconnected from humanity and unable to connect with others. She's such an incredibly complex and layered character with so many facets. What's remarkable is that she does this with very little dialog. Her two solo dancing scenes as well (I mean, all of the dancing scenes really, and the music) were such excellent ways to convey deeper aspects of her character. She's a person who, as cold and heartless as she is, clearly craves human attention.
In contrast, Vincent Lindon as Vincent the firefighter is the exact opposite. He plays a character BURSTING with emotion, someone warm and kind, yet troubled and lacking in so many ways. His performance is the heart and soul of this film and many of its ideas are conveyed through him. His character essentially provides the thesis statement for the ultimate message of this film: love is the answer. Stripped away from societal expectations, from changing bodies, from haunted pasts, love is a guiding force that can help us deal with change and those different from us.
Could Titane's two halves - not literally, but I mean, thematically - have had a BIT more connective tissue? Yes. It does feel like a somewhat disjointed film, that could've had a different first act and been the same film.
I also felt that while the message and ideas of the film are well thought out, it does forget one kind of huge aspect that I think most people watching this film picked up on without even thinking about it: justice. It's nice that Alexia is loved and accepted? Sure. Is it also true she murders at least three perfectly innocent people in cold blood for no reason and should probably be held accountable? Sometimes, love isn't enough, and I appreciate that the film doesn't ask us to agree with its statement (Vincent is explicitly portrayed as a DAMAGED person, especially in the scene with the forest fire), but the lack of justice does muddy the message a bit.
Overall though, Titane is a fantastic example of grown up, audacious film making. As odd and off kilter as it is, it's a great example as to why, even if not as commercially successful, French cinema is so valuable to the world. Check this out, and keep an open mind!