X
- 2012
- Not Rated
- Indomina Group
- 1 h 55 m
- 2012
- Not Rated
- Indomina Group
- 1 h 55 m
Summary Inspired by the filmmaker’s fascination with the after hours life of stretch limousines, Denis Lavant plays Monsieur Oscar who, over the course of a single day, takes on 10 other guises, ranging from a gangster and ageing millionaire to a troubled parent and anarchic tramp. Including a few unexpected cameos, Holy Motors is the rarest of ...
Directed By: Leos Carax
Written By: Leos Carax
- 2012
- Not Rated
- Indomina Group
- 1 h 55 m
- 2012
- Not Rated
- Indomina Group
- 1 h 55 m
Holy Motors
7.5
Where to Watch
Summary Inspired by the filmmaker’s fascination with the after hours life of stretch limousines, Denis Lavant plays Monsieur Oscar who, over the course of a single day, takes on 10 other guises, ranging from a gangster and ageing millionaire to a troubled parent and anarchic tramp. Including a few unexpected cameos, Holy Motors is the rarest of ...
Directed By: Leos Carax
Written By: Leos Carax
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 35 Critic Reviews
85
89% Positive
31 Reviews
31 Reviews
11% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 35 Critic Reviews
85
89% Positive
31 Reviews
31 Reviews
11% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The film itself is filled with a joie de vivre about the possibilities of acting, with Lavant expressing an emotional repertoire from wild humor to great sadness.
Holy Motors keeps kicking into a different gear, much like an eternally waking dream.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 134 User Ratings
7.5
78% Positive
105 Ratings
105 Ratings
10% Mixed
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
11% Negative
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 134 User Ratings
7.5
78% Positive
105 Ratings
105 Ratings
10% Mixed
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
11% Negative
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
Carax uses the brilliant vessel of Dennis Lavant to take you on a joy ride. But not just any joy ride. One that takes you into a deep multi layered abyss of some of the best surrealism put to film this decade. Enjoy the ride. Fans of hyper surrealism will not be let down.
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I love this surrealistic romp through Paris is a beautiful piece of storytelling. It is basically several short stories pieced together in a very creative fashion. Holy Motors is bizarre, to say the least, but still accessible. At the end of it all, I was left asking questions like, what was real, which for me is a good thing!
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Exhilarating, opaque, heartbreaking and completely bonkers – French auteur Leos Carax's so-called comeback film, Holy Motors, is a deliciously preposterous piece of filmmaking that appraises life and death and everything in between, reflected in a funhouse mirror.
Lavant is splendid in the film, and he's essentially the entire film - and yet, Holy Motors is somewhat more than a contraption built for a fearless performer.
The film has sprung from the mind of the Frenchman Leos Carax and ought to be seen to be believed, on the largest screen you can find, and probably sober, too, since it becomes its own narcotic.
The sort of enigmatic movie that many critics embrace because it's open to endless interpretation.
The film is an invitation to open your mind, heart & eyes and simply imagine. A collection of scenes stitched together only by a man who must take on any role and has the means to do so. On the surface the ice is cold and hard, but underneath there is so much to discover. A film wise enough to look and the mirror and laugh, but not too loud. A father, an old lady, a dying man, a killer, a lover, a ninja, a musician, a celebration of life and art. Like life itself, Holy Motors takes many unexpected turns. Holy Motors is a unique, surreal ride; aRt on wheels.
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No, this film has far too many boring stretches to work - especially in the second half of the film. I'm a fan of Cronnenberg, Lynch and other filmmakers who do weird in much more interesting and provocative ways. Sure, there are some disturbing images and fodder for discussion - they're simply not tied together into a meaningful whole which worked for me. I went into the film knowing generally what to expect, and I can let good inaccessible art flow by me, but I checked my watch 2 or 3 too many times for my liking.
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This is not your standard movie. I am going even to say it is not a normal one. There seems to be no plot, or clear ideas. The movie will be what you make of it. And this is not a type of film I enjoy. I don't think it is targeted to the people that expect to just watch a movie. This is something else. And you have to be in another state of mind to appreciate. And while I assume that there are people who are going to like it and even think it is great, I am certain I'll never be able to truly understand why. On the plus side, it has some beautiful and slightly outrages shots, which at least deserve 3 out of 10 on their own.
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Holy Motors is a day in the life of a performer. We see Oscar (Lavant) picked up by his driver/assistant, he is told that he has a certain number of appointments that he must attend throughout his day. Soon after we learn that at each appointment he is to play a new character. Who he is performing for and why he is performing is for the viewer to decide for themselves. There in lies my problem with Holy Motors. There is no narrative to speak of, and there is no character development. Unless of course you consider the fact that Oscar becomes exhausted from all of his appointments character development.
There is one positive in Holy Motors, and that is Denis Lavant. He transitions flawlessly from one character to the next, and portrays each character convincingly. I would say that Lavant is giving my second favorite performance of 2012, next to Day-Lewis in Lincoln. However once again my issue becomes that I am given no reason to care about any of the characters he is portraying. It's as if I am watching a very good audition. If I was casting a movie I would hire Lavant, if I'm looking to enjoy a film for two hours, no thanks.
Holy Motors is deliberately bizarre and surreal so there is an audience that it is appealing too. I am just not that audience which I'm sure is no skin off Carax's back. For me Holy Motors is simply artistic ****.
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Production Company
Pierre Grise Productions,
Théo Films,
Pandora Filmproduktion,
Arte France Cinéma,
WDR/Arte,
Canal+,
Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC),
MEDIA Programme of the European Union,
La Région Île-de-France,
Société des Producteurs de Cinéma et de Télévision (Procirep),
Angoa-Agicoa,
Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg,
Soficinéma 8,
Wild Bunch
Release Date Oct 17, 2012
Duration 1 h 55 m
Rating Not Rated
Awards
International Cinephile Society Awards
• 5 Wins & 10 Nominations
César Awards, France
• 9 Nominations
International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA)
• 1 Win & 6 Nominations
