The Congress (Ari Folman)

[Just Withnail]

 

Starring: Robin Writh, Harvey Keitel, Jon Hamm, Paul Giamatti,

Directed by: Ari Folman (Waltz With Bashir)

Based on a novel by Stanislaw Lem (Solaris).

Robin Wright (Robin Wright) receives an offer from Miramount to be scanned. In this way, her alias can be freely exploited in all films the Hollywood major decides to produce, even the most downmarket ones, the ones she has turned down until now. For 20 years she disappears to return as guest of honor at the Miramount-Nagasaki Convention in a transformed world of fantastical appearances.

[jenkins]

did you see this? wondering about this one. topic's opening trailer was pulled. trailer:



Elegant Robin Wright plays an aging actress who stopped working in order to prioritize her family. Desperate to avoid oblivion and rescue her career, she licenses her image and accepts an offer from Miramount Studios to be digitally replicated and turned into a virtual movie star in perpetuity. Twenty years later, Robin is summoned by Miramount to the Futurological Congress, where she enters an animation-only zone in which people take hallucinatory drugs to distort reality and escape their misfortune. Robin quickly realizes she is a mega meta astar – her image is being used ubiquitously for major studio profit – and she must endure a tempestuous journey to find her genuine identity. Director Ari Folman's elaborate sophomore feature film presents a critique of the contemporary culture of desire and its obsession with immortality.  Based on a novel by Stanislaw Lem, THE CONGRESS changes the expectations of storytelling by pushing the limits of filmmaking in an enchanting odyssey of visual originality.—Dilcia Barrera

Country: Israel, Germany, Poland, Luxembourg
Year: 2013
Director: Ari Folman
Screenwriter: Ari Folman

[Just Withnail]

Not seen this one either. Found one Berlin cinema showing it just once, but didn't get a chance to go.

But fuck it looks intriguing. When she answers his "what do you choose?" by swooshing away at the end of the trailer i got shivers.

[jenkins]

i hope people post news and interview things to amp the audience. people here will like/dislike this movie. that'll vary, those things vary. people here will like watching this movie. that won't vary

[Mel]

I will definitely see it. Hard to skip well made animation for adult audience - those are pretty rare. I adored "Waltz with Bashir", I'm very fond of "The Futurological Congress" from Lem... do I need to say anything else?

Trailer reminded me of Satoshi Kon. Homage to "Dr. Strangelove" with the bomb - that could fit very well into "Millennium Actress" as well, since film is also centered around female actress. There is nothing bad with comparing them. Both Ari and Kon are/were somehow interested in exploring places, where reality is mixed with fantasy.

[N]

I've never seen Waltz With Bashir but looking at this I can tell Ari Folman is a filmmaker I'm going to like.
I'm a huge fan of Perfect Blue and I'm currently looking for other Satoshi Kon films I can love, this looks like something I'd go to the cinema for if I didn't have to drag my mom along.

Much anticipating the dvd release.

[Mel]

Tone down your expectations - I'm quite disappointed after seeing it. It is very uneven - I have feeling that run time could be squished into 80 minutes from 2 hours without losing much. I didn't connect with any of the characters. One of the major reasons behind it: characters advance story by explaining things. Some minor narratives seems artificial, they didn't enrich the film, quite the opposite - when I was willing to learn more about main character, I was disrupted by sub-plots.

SPOILERS BELLOW!

Sick son story - I don't know why it was necessary at all. It explained some motives of our actress, but those things sometimes are better left ambiguous. It felt like a cheap trick to make Robin a more likable character.

Romance - it was unconvincing to say at least (idea of stalker character played by Jon Hamm is kinda unsettling). Sex scene felt like made by Bakshi - it screamed "wrong film!" for me.

Robin for the whole time is guided - she doesn't discover a thing on her own, she it tutored along with audience about what is going on.

Still I liked some scenes: the very beginning of animation, till mirror was wonderful. There is some commentary and reflection towards digital revolution - which would be interesting if played well, instead it was overshadowed by irrelevant things (kites are nice, can we move on?).

Well, another adaptation of Lem, which didn't work out.

[jenkins]

^mhmm. i don't disagree

notice how through all that there is an appreciation for an animation sequence. i still think all kinds of people will have all kinds of favorite scenes, and someone not liking the movie but liking parts of the movie will probs be common

[Mel]

notice how through all that there is an appreciation for an animation sequence. i still think all kinds of people will have all kinds of favorite scenes, and someone not liking the movie but liking parts of the movie will probs be common

Scope of the most issues I have with film is limited to the first plane - those often feel unnecessary, forced and lack subtlety. Sub-context of Congress is much more interesting than film itself. Example:

SPOILERS BELLOW!

Poke at Hollywood was often spot on. "Holocaust movie" - that was great and honest moment.

[jenkins]

i know what you're saying. the movie continually yells obvious statement things and whispers chill meanings. we both like the whisper. i think some people like yell vibes, i don't want to discourage them from liking that in this movie

am i emotional there^? i just watched before midnight and i'm feeling emotional. mel your ass will always be great, fyi