Holy Motors: A Dream Logic Film
The logic of dreams is its own kind of magic, following its own rules and associations. First you were one place, then something happened, and you were completely another place…then you were a turtle.
No matter how vivid and magical your dreams are, trying to explain your dreams to anyone else is daunting.
That’s exactly the kind of dream logic driving the new Leos Carax film “Holy Motors.” Carax’s first feature since 1999, the film stars Denis Lavant and Édith Scob, with appearances by Kylie Minogue, Eva Mendes and Elise Lhomeau. It screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
Holy Motors begins with a man in bed in tidy blue pajamas in an airport hotel, who then pries open a section of wall and walks into a theater.
Soon, we’re in … no, wait, that’s telling too much. The first time I saw Holy Motors at Fantastic Fest 2012, I made the mistake of spending quality eye-candy time trying to figure out what the movie meant, how its various parts fits together, and where it was going. About three-quarters of the way through the film, I realized that none of that mattered. It’s not a movie made for the rational, analytical part of the brain.
On the second viewing of “Holy Motors” I happily surrendered to the dreamstate, which is really the only way to watch the movie.
Seeing the film, you’ll be better off if you treat it as the chance to watch someone else’s beautifully shot dreams.
“Holy Motors” prominently displays the art of special effects make-up. It’s a key plot-movement device in this film. The FX makeup is often applied in front of the camera, not just behind the scenes.
While the film has been playing in New York City and Los Angeles for weeks, it’s just now opening at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas.
The clips below give you an idea of what to expect from this film.
Yes, they are from the same film!
In French, with subtitles.
The second film involves the character of a madman at a cemetery. Note the “Visit my web site” instructions on the tombstones!
