Truly "way out there" experimental film

Rating: 6/10 (18 March 2019)

"Climax" (2018 release from France; 96 min.) brings the story of a dance troupe. As the movie opens, a choreographer is interviewing each of them to get more personal background information. We then switch to a rehearsal, where we see the dancers perform as classic dance tunes of Cerrone and Patrick Hernandez are thundering. As the rehearsal concludes, the dancers start talking to one another, while most of them drink lots of sangria. The stories become gossipy rather quickly... At this point we are less than 15 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from noted experimental French director/editor Gaspar Noe. Here he brings to the big screen a story inspired by true events that took place in France in 1996, as we are reminded by the movie's opening credits. When I see the term "inspired", I translate that as "very loosely based on, with lots of artistic licensing, just because". The movie is really two films in one: the rehearsal and its immediate aftermath, and then the transition into personal hell for these dancers. The film was made on a very small budget and with little to no prior dancing experience by the cast. Oh, and did I mention that the movie's opening dance rehearsal and subsequent conversation comes in one long shot of about 15 min.? And that there are subsequent single shots that run even longer? Yea, it's kinda like that. The contrast between the movie's opening scenes and the last 15 min. or so couldn't be further apart mood-wise (and screaming-wise). There is a ferocity in these acting performances that are bound to unsettle some (they sure did unsettle me). Bottom line: this is a movie that is truly "way out there", but not without its merits (I don't really want to use the word "charming" as that is really the exact opposite of what this movie is). Last but not least, there is a ton of great dance music featured throughout the movie (Cerrone, Patrick Hernandez, Giorgio Moroder, Soft Cell, and on and on).
"Climax" premiered at last year's Cannes film festival and finally opened in US theaters this month. The Sunday matinee screening where I saw this at my art-house theater here in Cincinnati, was attended dismally (5 people, including myself), and I'd be surprised if this plays more than one week. If you are in the mood for a weird cocktail of dance and talk and all hell breaks loose, all with a French twist, then by all means I encourage you to check it out, be it in the theater (not very likely at this point), on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.