"Holy Motors" Review

"And now for something completely different..."

When I saw the first trailer for French director Leos Carax's Holy Motors last year, I was impressed with how strange and strikingly original it looked. I never got a chance to see it in theaters because it wasn't really playing anywhere. This is the type of art-house film you'd expect to see at one of those old-school "picturehouses" in the hipster part of town, but I don't know of any that screened Holy Motors. Naturally I was excited to see it streaming on Netflix because I finally had the chance to see the full story behind that hectic trailer.

After finally watching it, I've concluded that Holy Motors is indeed odd, perplexing, beautiful, and original; perhaps even more so than I expected. Most of the time, the narrative feels too convoluted for its own good, and it's easy to lose your way, but like a fine piece of abstract art, it doesn't all need to add up in order to be captivating.
Holy Motors is a French foreign language film that follows a day in the life of Monsieur Oscar, a shadowy character who, from dawn to dusk, travels around Paris, moving from one "appointment" to the next. Each "appointment" is like a different life. In one day, Oscar is a captain of industry, a father, monster, musician, assassin, and beggar. He comes off as an actor giving his all to each performance, but there are no cameras. And you never know exactly why he's doing what he's doing or how he came into his strange profession.

Denis Lavant plays Monsieur Oscar convincingly. He's brilliant as his main character, but equally impressive as the various characters he plays throughout the day. In fact, Lavant is so solid, you never know exactly which life is his true one. You don't really know when or if the charade is ever over, and when it appears to be over, the only "home" he seems to return to is his rolling makeup studio in the back of a limousine. Additional props go to the supporting actors who interact with each of Oscar's individual characters. Each person acts as if they've known Oscar's characters for years, feeding off his presence and making it even harder for the audience to distinguish between what's real and what isn't.
Edith Scob is also strong as Oscar's escort Celine. The entire time, she looks like she knows something and wants to tell us, but never does. Her charm and concern add another level of mystique to the film. Also, if you decide to watch Holy Motors, look out for Eva Mendes and Kylie Minogue in performances quite unlike anything you've seen from either of them.

With such solid acting and a visual style that appears grounded, yet vividly original, it's easy to give credit where it's due in Holy Motors. Even though it may be difficult to see past the daunting mental workout, there's no denying Holy Motors is a perplexing masterwork of the perversely imaginative, no matter how confused you may be at the end. More films should bring this level of creativity to the table.

8/10