Beautiful. There are few dialogues in the film - and this is the merit of director Philippe Granrier, who tells the story almost without words, and conveys meanings through the sensations of each scene, due to the plastic interaction of the characters and the reception of shooting with a shaking camera. And after all, it was necessary to emancipate the actors to such a degree and achieve such an expressive game, when the characters practically fight each other, tyrannize and have violent sex, scream furiously.
The whole film can be compared to a powerful energy flow, where each episode has an impact on the viewer - for example, where the girl is painfully cut with a sharp knife by a bandit or where the main character Seymour desperately rubs the mirror with both hands, either trying to cleanse himself or to erase his own reflection.
Throughout the film, various effects are skillfully used - for example, a blurred picture of a crowd of elderly people on a black background at the very beginning gives the effect of otherworldliness of these observers. Further, towards the end of the film, when Seymour, along with one of the pimps, go down the stairs in the brothel, the effect of black and white inverting color (as in an X-ray) is used and all the characters immediately become like demons, and the place itself resembles hell.
At the beginning of the film, where Seymour leans against the glass in his hood – he is still “positive” and is outside this dark and evil world, but gradually he succumbs to his dark animal desires, becomes pathologically dependent on the beautiful prostitute Melania, and when an inhuman cry breaks out of him, we already understand that he has become one of these villains on the dark new side of life.
Some scenes are very coolly built and filmed - for example, the dance of a bald pimp and a prostitute is simply fascinating and looks very mystical, also all the moments with dogs give toughness and emphasize the animal essence of what is happening. I recommend to all fans of arthouse - there is the same magic of cinema.
8 out of 10