Sunday, November 13, 2011

Womb (2010)

Womb (2010)
Womb (2010)

Genre: Drama • Sci-Fi
Director: Benedek Fliegauf
Starring: Eva Green, Matt Smith, Lesley Manville
Language: English
Duration: 111 min.
Rating: 7.8  

Summary:
A woman's consuming love for her deceased boyfriend leads her to give birth to his clone.  From his infancy she faces the unavoidable complexities of her controversial decision; but when he grows to be a man, she struggles even more between the maternal love for her son and a more troubling attraction to the duplicate of the man who won her heart years ago.



Womb is a film written and directed by Hungarian filmmaker Benedek Fliegauf (Dealer), his fourth feature and first in English.  It premiered at the 2010 Locarno Film Festival.

Taking a present day sci-fi scenario, one that isn't so far from becoming reality, Fliegauf explores in his unique clinically minimalistic way, the moral and psychological ramifications of human cloning.  Its the story of Rebecca (Eva Green) and Tommy (Matt Smith), they meet as children and quickly become infatuated, however Rebecca is forced to move away with her family to Tokyo and the two lose touch.  Years later she returns and the two of them resume their romance like she never left, but tragedy soon strikes and Tommy is killed in an accident.  Unable to let go and with the consent of Tommy's father, she undergoes a procedure to impregnate herself with his clone.

It's an intriguing concept that is brilliantly acted by Green and Smith, with terrific support from Lesley Manville as Tommy's biological mother, also from Ruby O. Fee and Tristan Christopher as their younger counterparts.

Those unfamiliar with Fliegauf's style may have a problem with the minimal dialogue and plot, but his remarkable eye for composition cannot be denied.  Every shot is constructed perfectly, showcasing of course the beautiful Eva Green, and the breathtaking North German coast with many wide-angle static landscape shots like those that filled his last film Milky Way.  Others may be offended or utterly creeped out by the undeniable Oedipal tension that continually develops between Rebecca and the young Tommy v2.0.  It is a twisted relationship for sure.

I see a stylishly executed study of a deranged woman that raises some curious questions about morals and ethics, wrapped in fascinating sci-fi elements and incredible visuals by a gifted director who stands a good chance of developing into Hungary's next Béla Tarr.

Bonjour Tristesse

Womb (2010)

Womb (2010)

Womb (2010)

Womb (2010)

Womb (2010)

Womb (2010)

Womb (2010)

Womb (2010)

6 comments:

NeverTooEarlyMP said...

The premise for this one sounds fascinating to me, although I'm a little worried about the minimalist dialogue and plot, especially for something as complex as this. In addition to the strange mother/lover dynamics, I'm wondering if there are also problems with the clone not being what she expected.. having a different personality or something like that which disappoints.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Hmm 'nice' is an interesting way to put it, not exactly the word I would use in this case.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Haha but that would eliminate much of the disturbing subtext

The Reel Foto said...

wat da wat

Hoi-Ming Ng said...

Awww, damn lady, I can understand hands-on/ do-it-yourself attitudes, but for this job you shoulda just gotten a surrogate.

d_4 said...

This one sounds like it'll really suit me too. The whole twisted psychology on there is so nice.

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