Thursday, August 21, 2008

Chrysalis

FR (c) 2007 Gaumont / TF1. D: Julien Leclerq. SC: Julien Leclerc, Nicolas Peufaillit, Franck Philippon, Aude Py. DP: Thomas Hardmeier - shot on Panasonic AG-DVX100, negative: 35mm and video - digital intermediate - 35 mm print 1:2,35. M: aria from Lakmé. Starring Albert Dupontel (David Hoffmann), Marie Guillard (Marie Becker), Marthe Keller (Prof. Brügen), Mélanie Thierry (Manon Brügen), Claude Perron (Miller), Alain Figlarz (Dimitri Nicolov / Danis Nicolov), Patrick Bauchau (Charles Becker). 94 min. A CCV print with English subtitles. Viewed at Espoo Ciné, Prix Méliès series, Andorra, Helsinki, 20 August 2008. - Digital intermediate look: ugly, gray, cold, and dirty, almost monochrome. - A futuristic neo noir thriller with an Europol detective tracking down smugglers. - A vision of the future where state of the art surgery can change not only people's looks but also their minds. Memory can be changed and transferred. Bodies and souls can be switched. Manipulation of the brain is also used as a method of torture. Chrysalis is the method of digitizing memory. - The brutal action includes sadistic violence and gratuitous, prolonged beatings. There is a psychotic feeling in the violence. - In the end the policeman whose memory has been drained refuses the memory clip: the man I used to be scares me. I'm not sure I want him back.

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