A symphony for the eyes

Rating: 9/10 (21 September 2010)

This movie is absolutely beautiful for the eye and ear. - Especially for the eye. Partly it feels as surrealistic as old Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch or Terry Gilliam movies. I thought this kind of movies died. I am glad to see, that there is a movie from the year 2009 that actually goes into that direction. Don't get me wrong, this movie is still something of it's own, just like Kubrick, Lynch or Gilliam have their own handwriting, so does Jaco Van Dormael. I don't know any other movies by him, but I'll try to find them. If you are a fan of surrealistic cinema, like me, get this movie.
I have 2 gripes about this movie. My first one is, that this movie is a bit of a claptrap. - Just like modern music videos or commercials. Everything is super-clean, over-dimensional and beautiful. And because it's absolutely beautiful, this gripe is obsolete.
My 2nd gripe can barely be excused. The ending gives a totally trivial explanation for... simply everything. The beautiful symbolism and mysticism of the movie has been destroyed along with this explanation. I don't understand why the director did that. If he would have left the movie be, without the last 5 minutes, I would have totally loved it. No real explanation, just alternative realities beside each other. I would have given the movie 10 points! Like this, I am a bit angered and disappointed. All meaning that could have been interpreted into the movie, is ruined. I guess though, if you really want to, you can still interpret all sort of things into the movie. I sadly can't.