4 stars out of 5
Be careful what you wish for, they say. The last time I reviewed a David Cronenberg movie, A Dangerous Method over a decade ago, I said that the talky film made me “long for the twistedness of Dead Ringers, etc.” At age 79, my crony Croney is back with maybe his most f’ed up flick ever. And while I can’t imagine that a ton of people would willingly pay to see this, I certainly did (full price!), and I… enjoyed it? That doesn’t seem like the right word. Admired it? Hmm, that’s closer.
We’re in the not-too-distant future, or perhaps an alternate post-apocalyptic present in which point-and-shoot cameras have made a comeback. Viruses and pain are things of the past, and human evolution has sped up, meaning that people are growing new organs within and without themselves that have unclear functions. Cronenberg regular Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux (who is making brave career choices) are lovers second but performance artists first, making spectacle of these mutations for hipster crowds. Kristen Stewart, who remains my favorite ever, and Don McKellar run the government’s Ministry of Organs or some such name; they are tasked with cataloging these metamorphoses. Stewart is a delight as the mousy office girl who becomes fascinated with Viggo and his underground world. Viggo is terrific as a shadowy figure on darkened streets, seemingly needing an Albuterol inhaler as his rapidly evolving body is affecting his breathing. Or as Jeff Goldblum said in the first Cronenberg movie I ever saw, The Fly, “I’m not getting worse. I’m getting… better.”
There’s also a cop story somewhere in here.
Along the ride, Cronenberg tackles human/machine symbiosis (hello Crash), romantic jealousy, medical ethics, vanity, tech support, family responsibility, and drawing a moral line in an immoral world. This dark content is matched by a dark, rundown urban setting, filled with old equipment and crumbling, dirty walls. Cronenberg’s regular composer, the great Howard Shore (now 75) contributes an appropriately morose score.
What can I tell you? There is also a lot of bodily gross-out content. If you’re a Videodrome/The Brood/Rabid Cronenberg fan, I can see you watching this, subtly nodding your head, with shock occasionally registering on your face. If you’re more of a History of Violence/Eastern Promises person, treasure those memories and avert your eyes.
Jack Silbert, curator