London Film Festival Review: The Congress (2013)

Editor’s Notes: The following review is part of our coverage of the BFI London Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff and follow the event on Twitter at @bfi.

Ari Folman’s mind-bending Congress, loosely based on a novel by Stanislaw Lem, is nothing if not a downright challenge to watch. Attempting to follow and comprehend its sporadic and ever changing narrative is the film’s largest flaw and greatest merit; although it is a palpably demanding script, it’s never once boring. The Congress is an utterly immersive and captivating cinematic experience that keeps the audience on their toes consistently, thanks to its boldly daring nature; the film is a daring undertaking, make no mistake. Its subtleties will not be immediately appreciated, perhaps not at all by some, but either way; it’s a film that stays with you.

The film is as confusing as it sounds, with very little explanation given to the narrative’s slow descent into complete confusion. The initial premise of the film is engaging and intriguing however; the idea that a technology could exist rendering actors obsolete is a thought-provoking notion.

In a strange subversion of convention, actress Robin Wright portrays herself in The Congress; depicted as an out of work actress who is finding it increasingly difficult to fetch roles due to her age, she lives with her disabled son and headstrong daughter frequently visited by her frustrated agent (Harvey Keitel). Ultimately, Robin’s only option to continue as a paid actress is to submit herself to the most recent film technology of the production company, Miramount. This involves capturing her facial expressions and bodily movements, using this data to computer animate her; she’ll never have to appear in another film, because this technology is advanced enough to produce any behaviour from this scanning technique.

After her scanning is completed, the film abruptly jumps to twenty years in the future; Robin drives her Porsche to Abrahama City, a place that thanks to a strange cocktail of chemicals is entirely animated. In reality, their animation is a mere chemically induced perception of their surroundings, a waking dream. Her endeavour results in her being frozen for a number of years, eventually waking to a peculiar new world. And thus, the strangeness commences.

The Congress isn’t a film that can be necessarily confined to a word-for-word synopsis; its boundless nature prevents it able to be so. The film is as confusing as it sounds, with very little explanation given to the narrative’s slow descent into complete confusion. The initial premise of the film is engaging and intriguing however; the idea that a technology could exist rendering actors obsolete is a thought-provoking notion. Along with this plot point comes a heavy subtext; Folman explores the shameful reality of objectification faced by actors and actresses along with the public consumption of them in their roles. The Congress, stripped of its cloudy narrative, could in fact be a strong critique on the exploitation of human beings in the commercial industry; it’s almost a metaphor for the ever-increasing state of internet culture along with the blurred obsessions corporations have with intellectual rights. When signing herself away to the production company in The Congress, Robin Wright is effectively signing away her human rights. As the producer explains to her, once she is scanned she will cease to exist; her projection can be used in any film that they so choose, from pornography to Sci-Fi. This type of society, looming ever closer, is a horrifying prospect. After all, what are we but subjects in a society? To the controlling powers, the people are not individuals but one large mass of faceless names and nameless faces.

The Congress, stripped of its cloudy narrative, could in fact be a strong critique on the exploitation of human beings in the commercial industry; it’s almost a metaphor for the ever-increasing state of internet culture along with the blurred obsessions corporations have with intellectual rights.

When the film enters the stage of animation, events take a strange turn; it seems the animated society is a result of extraneous dictatorship. However, this is never fully explained; there is a strange behaviour of inhaling a drug that will transport a person to this universe, but whether their physical body disappears is unknown. Despite the fate, the process of this transformation certainly renders the person impotent. Even inside the animated realm, there is an oppressive force in the air. Folman once again draws out the subtext to shadow the narrative; the moral (or rather immoral) implications of capitalism are hinted at, decorated in a mind-boggling narrative thread.

There is little else to say about The Congress; it truly is one of the rare modern films that have to be seen to be believed. Perhaps a little too avant-garde for the awards season, the film is certainly a must-watch for the open-minded cinemagoer. One that appreciates thoughtful art will certainly appreciate The Congress, which is ultimately a fantastically put together exploration of society and the downward spiral that it appears to be falling into. Although victim to some stilted dialogue and of course the at times pretentious narrative, the film can’t be denied its merits and, more importantly, its blatant disregard of the modern filmic formula. It is Ari Folman after all! The film’s effectively minimalist animation technique adds to the films alarming atmosphere of futility; in a world where the most basic human rights are stolen away, little importance rests on appearances. Quietly captivating, thought-provoking but at times over-done, The Congress is a deliciously challenging film to digest and takes modern cinema in a refreshingly abstract and unconventional direction.

[notification type=”star”]76/100 ~ GOOD. Quietly captivating, thought-provoking but at times over-done, The Congress is a deliciously challenging film to digest and takes modern cinema in a refreshingly abstract and unconventional direction. [/notification]