In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Sunday 21 July 2013

The Atrocity Exhibition (2000)

I did my best to explain what I thought TAE was about when I reviewed the book (HERE). I'd assumed it unfilmable, but Dir. Jonathan Weiss achieved the impossible: he turned Ballard's conceptual head-fuck into a living, breathing psychodrama of fused sequences and deep, unsettling allusions.
Be warned, there's some very upsetting imagery on display; there had to be if he was to remain faithful to the source, but it's still a shock even when you've mentally prepared yourself for it. If you attempt to understand what you're seeing without first having read the text and applying it as a primer, then you may not grasp the full impact of what the film set out to do. You'll notice I didn't say 'understand the film,' because that would be madness.
To date, it's the only film Weiss has made. I can understand why. After Atrocity, working in conventional cinema would be a major comedown.

5 angled doors out of 5

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