Tag: Brandon Cronenberg

Infinity Pool

Posted on by victorfraga

WARNING: THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

An analogous theme to Brandon Cronenberg’s filmography thus far, is the descent of his leads into total self-annihilation. Creating narratives that depict their gradual emotional and physical withdrawal as they immerse themselves into the dark depths of the human psyche. In Cronenberg’s imagined realities with their subtle sci-fi leanings; deplorable, outrageous moments are underpinned by guttural fear and rage, causing the forsaking of all social propriety to reveal the inescapable fact we are at the mercy of our basic carnal impulses.

In Infinity Pool it plays out in a fortified tourist resort, in a fictional country called Li Tolqa. Li Tolqa is portrayed as an Eastern European, militarised, roguish state, likely somewhere on the Black Sea (although the film was shot in Croatia). James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) is a failed writer, six years after his poorly received first novel is cursorily persevering with a follow-up and is bizarrely seeking inspiration barricaded in this plush resort paid for and accompanied by his wealthy wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman). Opening scenes has the handsome couple seemingly bored by their comfy lifestyle but mostly by each other, yet the accompanying ominous soundscape of jolting thuds suggests an abrupt end to their tedium.

And sure enough, trouble comes calling in the shape of Gabi (Mia Goth) also a hotel guest who ambushes James, flirtatiously professing him to be a fan of his work. Goth excels throughout, fluctuating effortlessly from ditsy bright young-thing to sex-crazed nymph to maniacal bully, the very antithesis of reserved and demure Em. After a couples’ dinner with her husband Alban (Jalil Lespert), they invite Em and James to a boozy beach trip outside the compound where Gabi seizes an opportune moment to creep up behind James taking a drunken piss and proceeds to wank him off. The film’s NC17 version shows urine, erect penis, cum et al. The drive back takes a dramatic turn with a deadly hit and run, after initial advice by Gabi not to call Li Tolqa’s corrupt police. They nevertheless come knocking first thing, the following morning.

The prison system in Li Tolqa takes an eye-for-an-eye approach to law enforcement. The sci-fi element kicks in here, when James is presented with an opportunity to bail himself out without any repercussions. For a lump sum they give him the option to clone him and kill the clone in his place, but with a stipulation that he watches his clone be killed.

The cloning process draws parallels to the heavily cerebral, transformation scenes of Tasya Vos in Possessor (Cronenberg, 2020), when inserting herself into other people’s bodies. A similar blinding sensation of strobing kaleidoscopic collages of colours and patterns, creating an immersive disorientation to reflect the protagonist’s shifting mental state, in this case being replicated. Cronenberg’s sci-fi is less technological and futuristic but more organic with stylistic choices that are more realist and make-shift and complement the grey, faded, post-soviet setting.

The film chooses not to preoccupy itself with any sort of “is it James or the clone” plot quandary, but more concerned with James’ slow disintegration into the abyss. As the couple are forced to watch the clone’s execution; Em is horrified, James is secretly aroused. The spectacle appears to give him a sense of indestructibility, further lulled into a false sense of security when introduced to Gabi’s group of rich friends, deeming them as fellow twisted brethren. This is very much in the vein of horror Hostel (Eli Roth, 2005), portrayals of the very rich resorting to the most barbaric of thrills, in this case it’s committing the most heinous of crimes in a bid to alleviate their boredom and expunge their inner demons, with full knowledge they can clone their way-out.

Em swiftly takes off, whilst James stays behind to embark on a debaucherous rollercoaster ride of recklessness and pleasure-seeking (there is a long polysexual orgy scene enhanced by hallucinatory effects of a local root drug). The montages are eye-wateringly absorbing, tantalisingly erotic, baring loads of naked flesh and presented in very ritualistic fashion, signalling heavily to the occult. Not long till the hedonistic trip turns sour, once James becomes the target of the group’s sadistic games, finding himself being their punch bag and unable to escape until he is broken down into total submission.

Like in his previous films Cronenberg packs in a fair few ideas, which ordinarily would come off as over-stuffed or incohesive, but he presents it in such a stylishly low-key and off-kilter manner, exuding sensations of eeriness and discombobulation which gels everything together. The focus stays on James throughout with a sharp of focus on poking fun at his male archetype and proceeds to take him down completely.

Yet the film’s ending throws James a lifeline, it suggests that the whole experience was a process of catharsis, stripping away unwanted baggage and societal expectations, removing any morsel of self-worth connected to the life he had, and then rebuilding him anew. And now with his newfound self as it’s time to return to Em and to his privileged life, yet despite the drudgery endured the option to stay in Li Tolqa seems more inviting.

Infinity Pool is in cinemas on Friday, March 24th.

Possessor

Posted on by victorfraga

This is the first new film from Brandon Cronenberg in the better part of a decade, following his debut Antiviral (2012). Given Brandon’s surname, you might guess that he is a part of David Cronenberg’s brood, he is his only son, although Brandon has two sisters. He is also a cinematic heir to the Cronenberg name.

Antiviral is an interesting but ultimately cold and unsatisfying dystopian body-horror flick about selling celebrities’ illnesses to obsessed fans. In Possessor, on the other hand, Brandon Cronenberg bursts out of his father’s shadow and coming into his own as a filmmaker, even if the influence of fathers’ work is still obvious.

Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) is an agent for the shadowy corporation Trematon. She inhabits other people’s bodies through brain-implants so that they can unknowingly commit assassinations on behalf of the corporation. She eventually takes over the body of Colin Tate (Christopher Abbott), who is the boyfriend of the daughter of rival CEO John Parse (Sean Bean). It all escalates into a duel between Colin and Tasya as he tries to regain control of his body.

Much like David Cronenberg’s films, Possessor is set in a Ballardian Toronto, but the action takes place in an alternative 2008, not a future or the present. The opening sequence of extreme violence would be an interesting film in itself. Gabrielle Graham plays a young black woman, Holly, who is working a party at some swanky hotel. She is under the control of Tasya, and stabs a man repeatedly. Tasya is supposed to get Holly to commit suicide, but she can’t go through it. She eventually gets Holly to shoot at the cops, and the cops blow her away. It’s an astute statement about how white wealthy people use black and brown people to do their dirty work and in the end the victims get punished for it. Throughout the film, Tasya seems to be going through extreme levels of stress stemming from this botched job and due to domestic issues with her husband and young son.

The main body of the film is the battle for control of Colin. It certainly has some shades of Upgrade (Leigh Whannell, 2018), but lacks some of the thrill-ride aspects of that film, instead offering something more hallucinatory. The casting of Andrea Riseborough as the defacto lead Tasya certainly recalls Mandy (Pano Cosmatos, 2018), as does the psychedelic pink colour palette in various sequences, especially the grande finale. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Tasya’s handler Girder, which also recalls poppa Cronenberg’s eXistenZ (1999), itself is kind of a Philip K. Dickian assassination thriller. Possessor‘s production designer Rupert Lazarus, who cut his teeth in the art department on eXistenZ, is one of the various people who Brandon has inherited from his father’s films. Another is Deirdre Bowen, who has been Cronenberg’s casting director since The Dead Zone (1983), which probably why the film is expertly cast.

Since David Cronenberg left behind the body horror films of his younger years with eXistenZ in 1999 to do crime films, literary adaptations and art-house flare (nothing wrong with that either), it’s good to see the Cronenberg family business injected with new blood. Possessor is the trippy sci-fi/horror movie you’ve been waiting for all year. It doesn’t disappoint with its impressive visuals, strong performances, twists and turns, satire, and a good sprinkling of the old ultra-violence. One of the best films of the year.

Possessor premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in October, when this piece was originally written. On some digital platforms on Friday, November 27th. On Shudder on Thursday, June 10th.