Delivering what feels like a poor-man Ken Russell's attempt at deconstructing capitalism and class, Ben Wheatley's High-Rise is the filmmakers most ambitious and manic film to date, the type of film which I admire and appreciate more than I actually like it. The film is centered around Dr. Robert Laing, the newest resident of the brand new, luxurious apartment located in a state-of-the-art tower. Laing's apartment is relatively high up the tower, placing him among the upper class members of the complex. Early on, what first stands out about Ben Wheatley's High-Rise is the tone, having an otherworldly feel as our main protagonist familiarizes himself with the tower and its eccentric inhabitants. During this phase of the film, the building begins to suffer from power outrages, growing in frequency as Laing acclimates himself. I would actually argue that this is one of my favorite aspects of the film, as Laing's attempted acclamation fuels Wheatley's commentary on conformity and the desire society has for assimilation which is captured through the effective and stylistic storytelling. Laing is a character who is single and it becomes apparent relatively early on that he may be the only single person in the whole building. There are families, couples in fights, and single mothers, but no person who is literally alone in the apartment by themselves. It's subtle, but Laing is almost a complete outcast early on in the film, a single, wealthy, but not wealthy enough character who is stuck between the upper and lower class. While the upper and lower classes co-exist, they live in their separate areas of the building. Unfortunately that all changes when the power goes out for good, turning the tower into a breeding ground for a literal class warfare. When the comforts of society are stripped away from these individuals their tribal nature takes over, and that is when this film reminded me of a poor-man's Ken Russell film, becoming induced mayhem that's sure to shock and awe some viewers with its outrageous, manic style. While the film is certainly interesting, I'd be reminisced if I didn't point out that I thought the pacing slowed down too much in the back half, with superfluous scenes that didn't serve much of a purpose besides attempted titillation. The film becomes borderline tedious, with very little emotional resonance to grab onto, relying far too heavily on its not-so-subtle allegory about Thatcher's England and capitalism as a whole. Ben Wheatley's High-Rise is intellectually ambitious but I'd argue its ideals about capitalism and class struggle lack nuance and subtlety, and while the film may shock it never exhilarates, making it a film that doesn't intellectually stimulate as much as it should.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
|