Holy Motors (2012)

This is one of the most entertainingly bizarre films I've ever seen. The title really only comes into play at the end, and that does put a little context into that, but for the rest of it we follow the curious activities of "Mr. Oscar" (Denis Lavant) who travels the city in an enormous white limousine that wouldn't have looked out of place in Atlantic City, being driven by "Céline" (Edith Scob). His departure in the morning, suited and booted, would lead us to believe he is some high-powered financial operative; his phone calls talking about 150% etc. fuel that illusion til his driver informs him that his first "appointment" of the day is detailed in a file. To our surprise, we are now drawn back into his car to find it a fully equipped dressing room, complete with make up lights and an extensive collection of cosmetics and costumes. Thereafter, throughout the day, he assumes a series of disguises and carries out some mysterious and/or shocking tasks with the likes of Eva Mendez, Kylie Minogue and Michel Piccoli. He is at one moment a disagreeable vagrant, then doing his own virtual "John Wick" combat scenes in a CGI suite - but why? Who is this man? What on earth is it all about? It's clearly got a moral, well a collection of morals, and these gradually fall into place, but I still took quite a while to realise... It's a wee bit slow at times, but the variety of performances from Lavant are almost vaudeville in their range - there's barely a task to which he cannot turn his creative hand! It won't be for everyone, this, but it's quirky and innovative and far removed from the mundane and procedural. If you're going to watch it, though, turn off all your distractions and give it an undivided two hours, otherwise it will lose it's effectively accumulating punch!