Enter the Void

Viewer Discretion is strongly advised, in that, if you attempt to watch Enter The Void whilst baking, toking, tripping, or toasting, you will, without fail, bonk from the biggest braingasm you've ever had. Seriously, put down the DMT. This film, directed by Gaspar Noé, whose last full-length, Irreversible, was almost banned in Ontario for its nine-minute rape scene, kiboshes all previous films that dare ponder what happens after you die. Oscar (newcomer Nathaniel Brown) and Linda (Paz de la Huerta, Boardwalk Empire) are a brother-sister duo living on the wrong side of fortune in the seedy part of Tokyo when a drug deal goes bad. That's the first 30 minutes. The remaining 131 minutes, seemingly seen from the viewpoint of the recently departed, blend the aftermath of the tragedy, lucid dreaming, scattered memories and random minutiae to ostensibly build the tapestry of one's consciousness, which is still looming long after its body has kicked the bucket. Noé, bless him, peppers this cinematic tour-de-force with so many risks and inventive storytelling devices it's easy to be taken in by their ornate beauty before getting pissed at the liberties he takes. Drug hallucination scenes test your patience and pupils; I had to look away several times for fear my retinas would burn. However, his camera and narrative style attempt so many new styles, you have to love him for trying. Through our ill-fated protagonists' eyes, we experience personal thoughts, the incestuous proclivities lurking between brother and sister, even blinking (loved the blinking; it was the best part). Spirits inhabit the bodies of the living in a non-Patrick Swayze/Ghost manner, making you ache for the dead and rejoice to still be fighting the good fight. It must be hard for Noé to make a serious film about the brutal realities of mortality with his tongue this firmly stuck in his cheek. But lurking underneath some facetiousness therein lies some genuinely wigged-out moments of madness, pain, beauty and ridiculousness. The DVD contains the full-length director's cut, which may or may not be unfortunate, considering how many edits this film had to endure after making the Film Festival rounds before its official release. Not many people are willing to watch a 161-minute DVD, unless they nap for most of it. DVD extras include deleted scenes (it's 161 minutes, what exactly did they delete?!) and several drug-related CGI sequences that play out more like the V'Ger wankfest from the first Star Trek movie than some fancy new experimental technique. Also included in the extras are teasers, trailers, unused trailers and posters – all things people can find for free on YouTube. Noé is too inspired a director to not include commentary. What a shame. People generally dislike confronting their mortality, but if you've ever had even the tiniest secret curiosity for what lies on the other side, this is the best representation you can be given from this one. Take advantage.