Film Review: Holy Motors (2012)

Holy Motors marked the first time I have had to watch a film twice before even attempting to put together my thoughts and opinions. This is also my introduction to the mind of Leos Carax, a French filmmaker who is widely considered one of his country’s finest. Considering this is his return after a decade-long absence, I wanted to see some of his earlier works before watching this, but I wasn’t able to. With that in mind, I am pretty sure I shouldn’t be expecting anything like Holy Motors from his other films. Although, what that means is we are watching an experienced director try out and experiment with a completely new style, and create something truly unexplainable. Carax induces the film with so many complex ideas and visual qualities that give it a mysterious nature to it that makes its ambiguity become one of its strongest aspects.