LOVE (France/Belgium 2015) ***
Directed by Gaspar Noe
Gaspar Noe is rightly known as l’enfant terrible du cinema. Noe broke into the filmmaking scene with his one-hour CARNE followed by the one hour SEUL CONTRE TOUS a few years later. In the latter film, he had a warning 10 minutes before the film ended for people to walk out if they cannot take violence, the clock ticking for a minute on screen while allowing people to leave. At my screening, a few left during that minute, but a third of the auditorium cleared during the last 10 minutes. In LOVE, a love story told from the sexual point of view, Noe seeks to provoke once again. He opens the film with the lead character Murphy (Karl Glusman) cummng after being given a hand job by his girlfriend, the unstable Electra (Aomi Muyock) in a very erotic scene shot with filters to give the segment a sexy, forbidden look.
Murphy receives a phone call from Electra’s mother New Year’s morning saying that Electra has not been seen for days. Murphy is now living with Omi (Klara Kristin) who happened to get pregnant as a result of Murphy's infidelity. This unwanted pregnancy ended the relationship between Murphy and Electra on a sour note. For the rest of this day, Murphy recalls his past with Electra, filled with drug abuse, rough sex, and tender moments.
The name of the character Murphy was chosen as it was the maiden name of his mother Nora Murphy but one would guess it was likely used because of Murphy’s Law that is demonstrated in the film. “If anything can go wrong, it will,” which applies to Murphy in the film.
Noe’s film depicts a man’s world. Though there is little of the the female’s point of view, a lot is revealed of the man’s feelings. Murphy’s feel on life, his emotions and explanations of his action are not inhibited. His feelings are narrated out loud by his voice, like the way he discloses his displeasure of Omni’s living with him, his private space invaded and how he wishes her to be quiet and look after their kid.
Movies play a big part in Noe’s life and in the film. There is a poster of FREAKS and TAXI DRIVER in Murphy’s room. And Murphy claims his favourite film is 2001, the director of which, Stanley Kubrick is Noe’s inspiration for his filmmaking.
As for performances, the two actresses are women Noe met in a club while actor Glusman is an actor. As for the multiple sex scenes, Noe claims he puts the actors in the appropriate positions and the actors take it to the next level, naturally. The sex scenes are very erotic and sensual - no doubt about that.
As in Noe’s other films, LOVE 3D is difficult to watch, though not as difficult as IRREVERSIBLE and SEUL CONTRE TOUS. Still Noe has proven himself a viable director whose work cannot be ignored. Again, see this one at your own risk.
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