Review: State Like Sleep

StateLikeSleep
Cert: 15 / 100 mins / Dir. Meredith Danluck / Trailer

State Like Sleep is a psychological thriller from writer/director Meredith Danluck. American fashion photographer Katherine Grand (Katherine Waterston, Inherent Vice) is slowly rebuilding her life after her actor husband Stefan Delvoe (Michael Huisman, The Age Of Adaline) is found dead in their Brussels apartment from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot.

Twelve months later with her mother hospitalised after a series of strokes, the property is due to be sold and Katherine returns to empty it. But revisiting her old life rekindles unsolved mysteries, and soon Katherine is drawn into a seedy underground club scene where she meets her husband’s secret friend Emile (Luke Evans, Midway) as well as her own enigmatic hotel-neighbour Edward (Michael Shannon, Midnight Special).

PROBLEM

Despite some solid casting, the main problem is that the emotionally-anaesthetised characters and their sprawling story aren’t particularly interesting, yet neither are they presented in a particularly interesting way. And since Katherine knows at the time of his death that Stefan had issues with drugs and women, there’s no revelation awaiting her return. Everything she finds out about Stefan’s life comes more as an explanation rather than a shock.

The film’s 100 languorous minutes feel far more ordinary than a film with this cast ever should. Scenes taking place in the fetish club aren’t as provocative as they’re perhaps intended to be, and the sequences in which Katherine is quietly wide-eyed on a variety of recreational drugs feel worryingly similar to those where she’s not.

VOODOO

And so what could easily have been a solid yet unambitious thriller turns out to not even make it to that mark. Originally filmed in 2016, State Like Sleep finally saw its US release back in January 2019, with an international straight-to-domestic follow up almost a year later. It’s not difficult to see why there’s been little enthusiasm to get this out there.

At one point, Katherine propositions Edward into casual sex with the disclaimer “It doesn’t have to mean anything, it can just be tonight”, seemingly unaware that this should really be the tagline for the front of the DVD…

A load of stuff on Netflix that you've never heard of.
The £3 DVD shelf in ASDA.



The distributors have wisely taken that decision out of your hands.



Stream it out of idle curiosity if you must.



Not not likely.



Quite possible.



Definitely not.



Level 2: Katherine Waterston is in this, and she was in that Logan Lucky with Adam 'Kylo' Driver and Daniel 'Gullible First Order Stormtrooper' Craig.







DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Review: Videodrome

Videodrome (1983)
Cert: 18 / 88 mins / Dir. David Cronenberg / Trailer



Put your hand up if you'd forgotten how weird David Cronenberg's horror-output was? Ah. Just me, then. DC has a great knack for making his audience gawp, flinch and squirm, but never really feel; as disgusting as his gore is, it's presented with an almost nihilistic lack of emotion, and none moreso than in Videodrome.

The first half hour is the most interesting, as Cronenberg's overtly satirical scaremongering of the VCR generation's attitude to sex and violence turned out to be far more prescient of the internet (which existed for military and government networks in 1983, but obviously wasn't the beast it is now). Then, after starting a plot he doesn't mean to see to any sensible conclusion and ramping up the effects-work, the last half hour of the film collapses under the weight of its own subtext and symbolism, and everything basically becomes a red, wet, pulsating cheese-nightmare. It's not that the movie doesn't mean anything, but Videodrome is a classic example of a film where 'what happens' and 'what it's about' are two entirely different things; to the point where the shonky-looking effects don't interfere with your enjoyment (or otherwise) of the film at all, as the ideas behind them are timelessly grotesque.

James Woods manages to come out of the whole thing quite well, given the absurdity of his role, but the rest of the cast struggle a little under Cronenberg's purposely sterile writing/direction. And in that regard, Debbie Harrie is either one of the greatest actresses of all time or the absolute worst. Her mannequin-like performance dovetails into her character perfectly. I think?

Come on, how many films do you know that could feature the character names "Brian O'Blivion" and "Barry Convex" and still keep a straight face..?

Despite somehow missing out on this, I caught a few of Cronenberg's flicks back in the day, but I think I was too young to full appreciate them.
Although I suspect this may actually still be the case...



Er… yes?



I'd recommend it, but I wouldn't tell you you're necessarily going to enjoy it ;)



There are a metric shit-ton of screams in this movie, none of which are authored by Private Wilhelm.



James Woods performed voice-over work for the animated Clerks series, as did Phil 'Kit Fisto in The Clone Wars / Bail Organa in Rebels' LaMarr.







DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.