Réalité

Greetings again from the darkness. For those who found last year's Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) to be too linear and overly coherent, be sure to track down the latest from writer/director Quentin Dupieux. You might recognize the name from his films that have developed cult followings – Rubber (2010) and Wrong (2012).

Dupieux seems obsessed with the blurred lines between the conscious and sub-conscious, so one can only imagine what he means by titling his movie "Reality". To ensure that we remain in a constant cloud of confusion, there is a key character who is a young girl (Kyla Kenedy) acting in her own movie. Her name is … what else? … Reality.

One can't really use the term plot when describing the film, but what follows is my best attempt. Jason Tantra (played by the always terrific Alain Chabat) is a camera man on a locally produced TV talk show about cooking that stars a rat costume-wearing host Denis (Jon Heder, Napoleon Dynamite). Jason wants to make his own movie starring a reluctant Denis (who suffers from eczema on the inside), and pitches his sci-fi idea of human-killing TV sets to film producer Bob Marshall (played by Jonathan Lambert). Marshall agrees to back the movie if Jason can come up with an award-winning perfect groan of pain within 48 hours. Meanwhile Reality (the girl) is being filmed by avant-garde director Zog (John Glover), and she finds a blue video cassette inside the gut of a wild boar killed by her father. In the process of trying to watch the tape, she spots a cross-dressing Eric Wareheim (from "Tim and Eric" fame) driving a military jeep through town. In one of his many dreams, Jason pictures himself at the awards ceremony where he wins for best groan … the award is presented by Oscar winning director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) and Roxane Mesquida (who was in Rubber). The topper of all sequences involves Jason having a phone conversation with producer Marshall while at the theatre watching his unmade movie while Marshall simultaneously has an in-person meeting with Jason. If you follow any of the above, this movie is made for you. If you didn't follow any of it, congratulations on your continued socially acceptable level of sanity.

Inside jokes abound here, and Dupieux takes a few shots at the filmmaking business, and what constitutes creativity. Fellow French filmmaker Michel Gondry (The Science of Sleep, 2006) may be the closest comparison to Dupieux, but the latter seems more focused on pushing the boundaries of lunacy and yes, Reality.

I've seen my fair share of confusing films throughout my life. But they're usually confusing in such different ways. I don't think i'd ever seen a film quite like this. It can definitely be enjoyable on a scene-to-scene basis, no doubt, but it can also leave you wondering just what exactly is going on. Does the film amount to anything? I'm not quite sure, but I did enjoy it. It's ded=finitely a very divisive film, one where people will either love or hate (and the reason I don't either is because I do think I'm more open tot his sort of thing. I wouldn't recommend this to all audiences (maybe not even to most) but I do think there is a lot of merit here.

I saw this film at the Film Fest Ghent 2014, where it was part of the official Competition. Previously, I saw Rubber of the same film maker at the Imagine film festival 2011 in Amsterdam. I wrote a positive review at the time, accepting the fact that I was a minority. Most others could not appreciate the absurd undertone and the almost absent narrative.

Recalling my good memories in favor or Rubber, it may be possible that I had expected more of this successor. Nevertheless, it delivers an absurd story you'd expect from this film maker. Compared with Rubber there are less LOL (laughing out loud) moments, however. Instead, we can enjoy a humorous undertone all along the running time, while contradictions and absurdities come along in abundance.

It is no use to condense the story in a few lines, not even several paragraphs won't do, still without any chance of getting the absurd message(s) across. Brace yourself, and let this movie come over you. It may change your view on film and film making. On the other hand, I sincerely hope that we do not have to take this backstage view on the film industry seriously.

All in all, in spite of (or thanks to) all the controversies this film maker causes, I look forward to more products along the same line. His products are well made, and supported by good actors. That his narratives lack a logical story line, is more like a signature rather than a defect.

I first learned of Quentin Dupieux when I saw his 2010 absurdist black comedy "Rubber" (about a tire on a killing spree). Now comes "Réalité" ("Reality" in English), about a director who has to find the ideal groan of pain for a proposed movie. At least that's the main plot. Throughout the movie, reality, fiction and dreams keep overlapping so that you're not sure just what is real. David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" is probably the only other movie that messes with your mind this much.

This movie won't be for everyone. You have to be willing to accept the repeated shift from apparent reality to fiction, often taking place simultaneously. Assuming that you enjoy a movie that deliberately confuses you, you'll like this one. It's not like anything that you've ever seen.

PS: Quentin Dupieux is an electronic musician who goes by Mr. Oizo (a corruption of the French word for bird).

Pun quite intended. If you know the director, you will be aware that the movies he has put out can be called anything - but ordinary. Or predictable for that matter. Having said that, this is especially weird ... with many things not making sense ... well in the real world. On the other hand, what is reality if not fiction? Or something along those lines.

If you are being told certain things, if life itself unravels in front of you ... if you have to look for a special scream ... which is necessary, because otherwise the great movie you think you have ready to be produced ... well will not be made. There is so much to unpack, there are so many things that cancel each other out, there are so many expectations that are willfully not met. There is craziness and then there is this ... tough to rate and/or review. So I can only tell you what you can expect .. sort of. Because nothing can prepare you ... other than having watched his other movies that is.