Netflix pick for 11/18/13 – ‘Holy Motors’

Holy cow, it’s “Holy Motors,” one crazy movie from France that people just about fell out for when it came out last year. Critics and cinephiles alike were delighted by this trippy and fascinating movie, while surely your average film watcher was flummoxed by such a bizarre and different film. But it is now in a place where we can all enjoy it together, and afterwards we can talk about our favorite bits and what left us scratching our heads and what guarantees that we will be remembering this movie for awhile.

From my original review of “Holy Motors” published last February:

“The best way to see this movie (or just about any movie, in my opinion, which is why you are here to begin with), is with as little information beforehand as possible. That way there are no expectations and nothing is spoiled and the movie can take it’s time in showing it’s cards. If at all possible, bookmark this review and see the movie first and then come back here and read the rest. You’ll have a more bewildering yet exciting and ultimately fulfilling experience, trust me on that one. And this is the internet, so it is not like this review is going to go anywhere. We’ll all still be here when you get back.

Meanwhile, for those who have seen the movie or who want the deets anyway, this is the story of actor Monsieur Oscar (Denis Lavant) and what appears to be a fairly typical day in his life, which consists of being shuttled around town in a limo from appointment to appointment, where he has to perform different deeds in different costumes, while we (and presumably he) are not told why or who is paying for such acts. It’s like he is being hired to do avant garde performances, usually in public (once in a motion capture studio), and often times ending with people in tears, kidnapped, mangled or dead, and it is evident this is all taking it’s toll on Oscar, as he neglects eating and chooses instead to drink between jobs, looking more and more haggard as the day wears on.”

Just watch this movie here on the Netflix Instant and marvel at how great it is. This movie is like eating sushi for the first time, or skiing down a mountain for the first time; it’s going to be a tough, rough, rumbling ride, and when it’s all done, you are going to be just that much different from when you started.  So get on it.