Mood Indigo

 

Adapted from the 1947 novel by Boris Van, L’Ecume des Jours or The Froth of Days, Mood Indigo sees Michel Gondry go back to his roots in surrealist cinema after the disappointing Hollywood blockbuster, The Green Hornet.

For those who are fans of Gondry's previous work including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the Science of Sleep, Mood Indigo represents a welcome return to form for the French filmmaker. Right from the opening, the film fizzles, crackles and pops with boundless energy. Gondry's ingenuity seeps into the film’s every orifice, its the cinematic equivalent of stepping inside a Salvador Dali painting and, in fact, the film’s use of frantic stop motion is reminiscent of Dali’s own surrealist film classic Un Chien Andalou. The craftsmanship involved in creating Gondry’s fantastical imagery is impressive. To give a brief flavour of what Gondry has to offer, the film’s opening includes door bells with legs which run away when rung and a ‘Pianococktail’, a Piano which creates a different cocktail depending on what notes are played.

Amongst this frenzy of surrealist imagery, a plot starts to emerge in the shape of Cholé (Audrey Tautou) who, the film’s lead, Colin (Romain Duris) falls head over heels in love with. This results in more quaint surrealist imagery such as scenes involving Colin and Cholé, taking a ride in a cloud car, attached to a crane, with Cholé singing classic love songs. The imagery within these scenes could quickly become nauseating if it wasn't for two strong performances from Roman Duris and Audrey Tautou, who help ground the film which could easily have become lost amongst the clouds.

However, as with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and the majority of Gondry's work, this film has a dark heart and after Cholé finds a water lily growing in her lung, she quickly becomes very ill and the film begins a darker path. Cholé’s illness, bursts Colin’s hedonistic bubble as his world rather bleakly begins to unravel. These scenes are some of the film’s most powerful and draw comparison with Terry GIlliam's Brazil and George Orwell's 1984, as the administration that appears to run this fantasy world repeatedly impedes Colin’s happiness. In particular there is one brilliant scene involving a series of typewriters which write each character's fate on a long conveyer belt slowly sliding out of reach as Colin desperately tries to rewrite his own fate.

There is no denying that Michel Gondry is one of the most imaginative and unique directors of his time, up there with the likes of Gilliam and Tim Burton. The issue however, is whether all these ideas can come together into one cohesive and satisfying narrative, which is where Mood Indigo struggles. This is  particularly noticeable when compared to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind which, in amongst all its surrealism, had the narrative drive, momentum and investment in its characters - things that Mood Indigo lacks, despite the strong performances.

In the end Gondry's Mood Indigo is worth watching for its sheer imaginative scale alone. The scope of ideas and evocative imagery certainly leaves it open for repeat viewings, even if, at times, the film proves difficult to follow and to become engaged with narratively. 

Mood Indigo will be shown at Broadway Cinema until Thursday 14 August 2014.

Mood Indigo Site