The Congress, 2013.
Directed by Ari Folman
Featuring the voice talents of Robin Wright, Harvey Keitel, Danny Huston, Paul Giamatti, Jon Hamm, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Sami Gayle.
SYNOPSIS:
An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn’t consider.
With Waltz With Bashir, director Ari Folman announced himself on the world film scene. The film was unlike anything else that had graced the screen, and went on to have great success across both the festival circuits, as well as garnering almost unanimous praise from critics and audiences. Six or so years later, he has returned with his latest film, The Congress, which again comes with a definitive “you’ve never seen anything like this” pre-cursor.
During the first few moments of The Congress, you know you are about to embark on a journey through a different lens. The opening shots, of Robin Wright (as a version of herself) is staring almost back at us, tears in her eyes, as her agent (Harvey Keitel) lambasts her for retreating from Hollywood and turning down many a role. It transpires that she did this to take care of her son (Kodi Smith-McPhee), who suffers from a rare disease that is causing him to slowly lose both his sight and hearing. But as the speech goes on it, it’s clear that Keitel wants Wright to go back to work, before the offers stop altogether.
The “final contract” she will ever sign comes from Miramount Pictures, a colossus of a studio that seems to be more from dystopian 1981 than Hollywood, the land of dreams. Its head (Danny Huston) offers Wright the chance to finish her career as if she was 30 years old again. The catch? Miramount wants to “copy” her image through the latest computer graphics, so that they can use her in whatever study want, whilst Wright stops acting for 20 years.
From the outset, as you can tell, The Congress is a film with big ideas, some of which have been whispered, but never spoken about. With the enhancements in CGI and motion capture in Hollywood, how long before such commodities as actors are a thing of the past? Hollywood is obsessed with age and beauty, but if the likes of Andy Serkis can act behind technology to such devastating effect, who is to say that in 10 years, even he won’t be needed? It’s a question that is open for huge discussion, and is certainly a possibility.
But the film delves deeper, asking questions beyond just Hollywood. Every person has the deep seeded aspiration to live forever, whether it is with the help of science, nature or in a dream, but what happens if the utopian feeling of living forever becomes darkly dystopian? What if the system that was there to help you ultimately deceives you?
It’s a film with many big ideas and theories, and while some work and Folman’s intentions are certainly to be applauded, many of them get tangled up amongst one another, and the result is something very convoluted. The second half of the film, particularly, which is entirely animated, gets lost in its twisted, dystopian dreamscape that while colourful, leaves many more questions unanswered, and its where the knots begin to form.
Visually, the film is as stimulating and fascinating as any other film this year, but it doesn’t quite make for a fully immersive experience. In addition, the film is superbly performed by all, with Wright the obvious star, with a performance as electrifying as her role in House of Cards, and it would be a huge shame if she doesn’t get at least some recognition come awards season. Keitel too is as good as he has been for a while, while Jon Hamm, Danny Huston and the always-superb Paul Giamatti perform well.
On many levels, The Congress is an extraordinary achievement: visually it certainly is stunning, and is one of the most original films of this or any year, but so much of the film feels almost inaccessible and far-reaching that it’s difficult to fully immerse yourself in both its ideas and it’s beauty. It’s like a beautiful dream: amazing and wonderful while you’re in it, but it’s gone almost instantly, and only some details pierce the conscious wall.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★
Scott Davis
Originally published August 15, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
