Post Tenebras Lux (2013)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Contains Spoilers! Many people found this film to be confusing, lacking a plot, art- house nonsense. Perhaps they were right and perhaps I'm just an art nut but I was all but awestruck by the piece. In Post Tenebras Lux, (Light After Darkness in Latin) Carlos Reygadas gives a beautiful and insightful look into the lives of a family living in rural Mexico. It may seem confusing and heady at first but to me, that is an over- complication. What I got out of this film was a simple and unique portrayal of the ordinary and mundane which can even sometimes seem shocking to us because realism is not a frequently employed style in film. Another thing, is although it may appear to be meandering and slow at times, (and perhaps ultimately is) the long scenes of a family just waking up, a reunion, an argument in the kitchen, a conversation at a bar- they all give us a deep and insightful look at the members of this family so that we can really connect to them on an emotional level which is something every film must do so as not to simply be a bunch of images flashing across the screen, and this one does so very well. Although it is ultimately realist it employs many techniques of impressionism (the 'looking through glass' effects) and even surrealism (a man ripping off his own head, the devil walking through the house). I really enjoyed this tender look into the lives of one family and look forward to watching more of Reygadas' work.

An urban family, having moved to the countryside of Mexico, experiences raw drama and ambiguous fantasy in this cinematically fresh and rewarding film by Reygadas. The cinematography is ethereal and at times haunting when combined with such unsettling imagery. That's not to say the films imagery is horrifying in itself. The imagery of Post Tenebras Lux is unsettling in that it's picturesque and lush while also being new and confounding. This is partially due to it's hypnotic, almost tunnel vision take on the 4:3 ratio. This way of presenting the story only adds to it's mysterious nature. The narrative in itself is overtly expressionist as it's partial auto-biographical and moves with fluidity removed from reasoning. It's a film that's entrancing and bewildering at the same time - an atmosphere that just seems to work. It certainly worked to make one of the most original films of the year.

Post Tenebras Lux and TO THE WONDER were my favorite films at Toronto's Festival in 2012. The plot description you get here on IMDb is as good as I could do so I won't bother with that. This film is like a cross between Malick and Lynch. It's beautiful, dark, bizarre and dreamy... and non-linear to add to the cryptic puzzle. Like Malick, the beautiful shots are about enough to hook you in... assuming you know how to experience a movie, not just watch what a studio spoon feeds you. Like Lynch, the dark underbelly of humanity is lurking beneath in a surreal fashion. Subconscious here we come! My favorite place to be! By the way, Reygadas won Best Director at Cannes for this. Now I hope I've added to the mystery, and didn't solve any of it!

After the dark, light. This is the nearest translation of this highly tentative piece of cinema whose story involves Mexican urban life, a couple in a whorehouse, a British rugby match with a guest appearance of devil himself.At the epicentre a man and his family. On the surface he has it all; a nice house, a beautiful wife and two healthy adorable kids. Beneath that, not all that shines is gold as he struggles with addiction and needs pornography to inspire spousal intimacy.Unfortunately and despite the high dose of creative filming the above is the only cohesive bit in this film. The added layers that aspire to connect to the title by juxtaposition of moments of light and darkness drove the film onto a one way street with lights out.A very mixed experience