In the future, death-row inmates are given the choice of either rotting in jail, or going up into space and participating in an experiment. One prisoner (Robert Pattinson) chooses the latter and is put on board a ship with a psychopathic doctor (Juliette Binoche), who is obsessed with creating a child through artificial insemination. It’s never revealed why she wants to do this since it’s never explicitly stated that humans can’t have children the old-fashioned way, but whatever. Sexual contact between the passengers is prohibited, which, as one might expect, drives certain people crazy. So crazy that, eventually, they start killing each other. In the end, Pattinson and his daughter, who was created by Binoche through very questionable means, are left alone on the shuttle, drifting through space. And… yeah. That’s it.
Two adjectives come to mind when thinking of High Life. The first is “half-baked.” The second is “French.” It’s “half-baked” in the sense that nothing is sufficiently thought out or explained. We know next to nothing about the characters, or why the doctor needs to create a child through artificial insemination, or even what they’re doing on this ship. They’re going to a black hole, but the film never says why. Are they looking for resources? Are they trying to enter another dimension? By the time the film ends, none of these questions are answered, and no one really seems to have changed. The movie begins with Pattinson and his daughter aimlessly drifting through space, and it ends with them aimlessly drifting through space. Which brings me to the second adjective, “French.” Now, obviously, I’m speaking in generalizations here, since the French film industry is huge, and there are tons of French movies that are commercial, and perfectly easy to understand; just look at the works of Luc Besson. But if you were to ask a non-French person what they thought of when they heard the phrase “French cinema,” they’d likely use words like “artsy” and “pretentious.” This film, which is written and directed by a French woman, and partially funded with French money, definitely fits those descriptions. It’s got very little dialogue, it’s got a non-linear storyline, it’s got lots of sexual imagery and themes, and it’s much more focused on pretty shots than telling a clear, compelling story. Also, it’s got two rape scenes in it. So if the boring, pretentious narrative didn’t turn you off already, the fact that there are two rape scenes in it will hopefully do the trick.
Now, I do want to be fair and list some positives. One, this is an original genre piece. Two, there are some hauntingly beautiful shots, like one of several dead bodies hanging suspended in space. And three, the acting, with the exception of the girl who plays Robert Pattinson’s daughter, is good. Andre Benjamin is definitely fun to watch, with him being the most likable character, and having the most charisma of anyone onscreen. Unfortunately, none of this can make up for a slow pace, characters with nonexistent personalities, and the displeasure of two rape scenes. As much as I want to support smaller, original movies, I can’t do that here. Don’t watch this flick.
liusviews 