by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
What can be said about Gaspar Noé? He is one of the single most controversial artists around. Each of his films are impressively bold in what they are trying to achieve. Sometimes those achievements are going to anger A LOT of people. Noé embraces “cinema of the body” where he assaults his audience with violent sex (instead of intimate arousal), controversial topics, and unrelenting forms of filmmaking. To make matters even more intense, Noé leans completely into a nihilistic and despairing world of life.
What could Noé possibly do with a story about two older people slowly dying? Well… despair and nihilism will certainly be present. He also will certainly push the buttons of his audience in forcing them into the most uncomfortable cinematic experience possible. Vortex is greatly mundane. Many could watch this 140-minute film and conclude that nothing of real consequence (the ending excluded) happens. This film leans deeply into the day-to-day struggle of human existence. We see how existence becomes even more challenging as age and dementia begins to settle in.
But that is not the only bold choice that Noé makes, is it? The visual presentation of the film is something quite unexpected. The whole film is presented with dual frames. There are always two camera shots presenting differing perspectives of the same scene. This could be confusing and distracting, but on some level, it feels quite prophetic in the way it captures two lives intertwined. Relationships are seen as two individuals coming together, and this presentation is a visual representation of that. As the events of the film play out, this becomes more obvious. On top of that, every frame (from both perspectives) is gorgeously rendered in a gritty and grounded visual palette. The film captures the symmetry of a Wes Anderson film… except devoid of color and quite depressing.
Are you ready for this nihilistic and depressing narrative? The story that Noé film conveys is the slow deterioration of an older couple due to dementia and general aging. The inevitability of death is a haunting specter that casts a shadow over the film. Looming death is always underneath the surface, giving the story a somber and grim feel to it. We see tender moments of emotion between these aging lovers, but we also see a detailed spiral through horrible events ,including the old woman play in the soiled water of a clogged toilet. The film never pulls punches, and it shows the dark places that people will go to end their suffering. Impressive montages of still photos highlight the final moments of the film that take the audience through the process of a living home to the events of death to the rituals we process grief through and finally to the empty shell of a once fruitful home. All poetic… if not totally depressing.
What surprise in the acting department does Noé offer up for Vortex? He cast legendary giallo horror director Dario Argento in a leading role. The man known as “The Master of the Thrill” finds his way into harrowing drama. His performance is genuine and sincere, matching the naturalistic approach to the film. There is no over-acting or over-dramatization to be seen. Just the mundane struggles of deteriorating life which Argento conveys so well. He is matched perfectly with his on-screen wife and co-star Francoise Lebrun. These two anchor the film with their paired affecting performances that bring their traumas to life.
Does Noé offer up a poignant cinematic experience? Vortex is in some ways what you should expect from Noé, but it is so shockingly different in others. This is certainly not Climax. It is much more straightforward in terms of narrative beats, but it is not any less nihilistic or depressing. This is quite the harrowing experience, and leaves you feeling many things by the time the credits roll on it. You just have to make sure that you can sit through this drama with 140 minutes to process at a methodical pace.
Score: 7/10
You can follow Shane Conto on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd