Holy Motors (2012)

DVD CASE/SIDE

Length of film:  115 Minutes

Rated: 18

Genre: Drama, Fantasy

Director: Leos Carax

Starring: Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, Eva Mendes, Kylie Minogue, Elise Lhomeau, Jeanne Disson

IMDB Rank: 7.0/10

Part 1 Time:  52 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  63 Minutes

***This film is unique in the aspect that it uses the French term en·tr’acte (which by definition means an interval between two acts), rather than the term intermission.

Where does the first part end? Mr. Oscar (Denis Lavant) assuming the role of a father drops off his daughter Angèle (Jeanne Disson) following an argument. Mr. Oscar then sits in his limo preparing to become the Accordionist.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “To have to live with yourself, now get out please.” The Father states to Angèle as she gets out of the car.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “3! 12! Shit!” the Accordionist states as he directs an ever-growing group of musicians to begin the coda of the song “Let my Baby Ride” by Doctor L.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, Mr. Oscar has successfully completed four out of his nine assignments. He sits in his limo preparing for assignment five. What oddities will assignment five bring?

Which part is better? The film rejects the concept of traditional narratives, instead consisting of a series of interconnected stories making it wildly confusing. The film’s theme is to explore the unpredictability and the superficiality of life through a fairy-tale context (Walters, 2023). Part two is notably better as the film is somewhat easier to follow and the themes presented are more abundantly clear.

Academy Awards: None