Lux Æterna

Lux Æterna offers a look behind the scenes of a smallish film production where everyone is shouting at each other, not knowing what’s going on and totally losing it. The more famous actors and actresses play themselves. In the film’s climax, Gaspar delivers a more-or-less meaningful closure followed by unforgettable closing credits, but as a whole, it’s horseshit, relying solely on the involvement of famous actors. [Cannes] (20.05.2019)

Noé got a pile of money from Yves Saint Laurent with a single assignment: to make a short film cast with the brand’s faces. But, as expected, Noé did the whole thing his own way, so instead of a standard commercial stylised into a quarter-hour film, the result is a 50-minute auteur pun reminiscent of browsing Cahiers du Cinéma while tripping, where Noé pays tribute to the paramount creative vision which, despite the mad chaos and personal interest of individuals, gives rise to true works of art that will become milestones of cinema. (19.05.2019)

I am looking forward to another Noé regular feature film. This funny project funded by Yves Saint Laurent is a waste of time and effort. Even on such a short runtime, it is terribly talkative and uninteresting. Béatrice Dalle was unbearable and currently holds the top spot on my list of actresses I can't stand. I've seen about 5 movies with her and I haven't given any more than 2 stars - she should already be a warning for me not to watch a particular movie. A proper Noé moment comes only in the flashing finale itself, which is still not as impressive as the epileptic passages from his previous films. I'm on the edge of 1 to 2 stars, but I'll give a higher rating for the interesting depiction of the madness that can prevail on set during filming. (11.11.2019)