He doesn't speak

Continuing my trip up The Guardian's Top 50 Films of 2021 

#46 : Titane

Julia Ducournau’s follow-up to her smart 2016 debut, Raw, is a freaky Cronenbergian body-horror that facetiously explores identity with yucky flair.

I've not seen Raw, but heard good things about it - this one seems to have been more divisive, although they loved it at Cannes apparently with it winning the Palme d'Or (but imho this is not always a great recommendation).  I'd have to say "freaky Cronenbergian body-horror" and "yucky flair" weren't exactly phrases to generate huge enthusiasm on my part, but here we go anyway...

..and, one minute in, we have reasonably graphic brain surgery being performed on a child.  Obviously.  And then we have the child grown up at some kind of motor show which involves women gyrating around on the cars with minimal clothes on.  And then, because this is a French film, they get naked in the showers.  And then she kills a guy by stabbing him through the ear with a metal pin.  Errr.  OK.  Obviously the only thing to do now is to get naked again and have sex with a car (which involves the car bouncing around ridiculously). You know what?  I have a slight suspicion I'm going to think this film is utter nonsense.  

And well, having watched the remaining 90 minutes, I can most definitely confirm that it is but it's also surprisingly unpleasant at times as well - I kept a count and the guy being stabbed through the ear is only (for me) the seventh most unpleasant thing to happen in the film (and yes, I did update the count as I went along).  It also features a load of utterly pointless scenes as well - you're just left going "huh?" plenty of times, not least by the main plot strand that makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE AT ALL.  And it's also obsessed with naked breasts.  So, all in all, I'd say (unfairly, I admit) that it's very French.

On the plus side, it's very stylish (again - French!), and is well shot and well acted.  It is also strangely compelling at times - I suspect this is because a lot of it is just so bizarre that you have absolutely no idea what might be coming next and you're intrigued to find out where it might go.  Going back to the acting, the main character is played by Agathe Rousselle in her feature film debut and you'd have to say it's an impressive debut - and what a place to start!  Vincent Lindon is also impressive in his role, but I can't really describe what his role is without giving stuff away.

So, did I like it?  Not in the slightest - but I did find myself weirdly fascinated by it.  I was also definitely intrigued as to how it was going to end - my suspicion was either very badly or very weirdly and it manages both of these, but also bizarrely manages to find some tenderness as well.  However, please don't take that as a recommendation to watch it - I really struggle to imagine the sort of person that would a) choose to watch this film and b) actually enjoy it.  It's just very, very weird.  No, scrub that - it's even weirder than that (there are LOADS of weird bits I've not even mentioned - like the dancing firemen!)  And I also can't overstate how unpleasant a lot of it is.  One for the critics, I think (and the Cannes panel).

At time of writing, the film isn't available to stream anywhere, although I suspect that will change reasonably soon if you really feel the need to subject yourself to it.  But don't say I didn't warn you!

#47 - Not nearly as good as it thinks it is
#45 - Do NOT watch this film