Nowhere Man

GIORNATE DEGLI AUTORI

24/30

Firstly a fantasy, an idealistic fantasy for the monotonous lives of the people who live in suburban hell, where keeping up with the Jones’ is number one priority. Where you socialise with people who are stuck in the same purgatory, and yet you can not share your pain. Where you simply sip wine and smile politely as someone explains to you in detail about their new house extension.

If only you could get away and lead the life you always wanted in paradise. Cue Nowhere Man where this is precisely what happens to the main character Tomas. Only then to have the fantasy become a disturbing and deeply uncomfortable reality. But it’s ok; you’ve always got the “welcome home!” fantasy to rely on. Where everyone has been so worried and no they’re not angry you left the, just really glad your home safe and sound. “Surprise!” I wasn’t dead at all, just a trick. “Oh, I'm so glad, lets all go celebrate your return, hurrah!”

Wrong, definitely wrong. No you come home and end up a slave to your wife. So, in effect you end up in a hell that is three times worse than the cushty suburban one you had in the first place.

Note to self, don’t actually act on escapism fantasies.

Frank Vercruyssen was incredibly convincing in his role as Tomas, I felt truly depressed and lost when I exited the cinema. Drained of all life and feeling like on the brink of a midlife crisis aged 21. Idealistic fantasies turned reality, interesting, however not personally what I would have gone for the opening of the Venice film festival.

Sara De Roo is also great as a the wife of Tomas who when faced with dealing with her husbands return from the dead, satisfies her pain with a semi sado-masochistic relationship with Tomas who resides in a small rented flat slowly going madder and madder.

The visual impact of the film made the overall effect much more influential, long camera shots, angular compositions, slipping in between reality and dreams, or tripping on acid? Lynch-esc scenes where you feel you are going mad alongside the characters.

The considerably bleak outlook in the film is reminiscent of characters from a Michele Houllebeq novel and this in itself is where I lost interest in the film. Surely there are only so many films or novels to be made about a man who has reached a point in his life where he feels totally lost and completely isolated.

Overall I found the film excruciatingly painful to watch and got deeply drawn into the characters. I found that the director painted and all too realistic picture, especially with the extremely long scenes of mundane actions. I’m not objecting to the film in the way that I think everything should be sugar coated. Definitely not, I just think that taking a simple idea of three or so events with not much depth and dragging them out into a feature film a little unnecessary.

28:08:2008

Nowhere Man

GIORNATE DEGLI AUTORI