eXistenZ

David Cronenberg is doubtlessly one of the greatest directors alive and in activity (along with Lynch, Kiarostami, Kitano, Moretti, Oliveira, Rohmer, etc). Having seen almost all of his films (excluding "Dead Zone", "The Fly" and "M.Butterfly"), I have this somewhat rare opinion that "eXistenZ" is one of his masterpieces. It seems to me that this film was hugely misunderstood, culminating with the stupid idea of comparing this film to "Matrix", a rather worthless and meaningless piece of nonsense. Here in "eXistenZ", we have instead a very dense and deep meditation on the mystery of reality, of our inability to apprehend where do things come from. The characters appear and disappear as if moved by some mysterious agent, which remains inhapreenshible. Being Cronenberg a professed atheist, we can only arrive at the conclusion that each world which is presented to us and to the main characters comes from their own mind, which, nevertheless, only constitutes a part of the human body (it is now hazard that the characters have access to the game by means of something - a game pod - which is implanted into their bodies). Cronenberg stated many years ago that all reality is virtual; so, in this film, the use of the plot-device of virtual reality is a huge metaphor to the virtually of reality, as our director sees it.

I feel compelled to speak up for this film against the spoilt ravings of the it-said-it-was-like-the-Matrix-but-I-didn't-see-any-cool-computer-graphics-a nywhere crowd that have dominated these pages.

There seem to be two schools of thought on the use of special effects in movies. The prevalent theory - depressingly common among film goers and film-makers alike - seems to be that a good effect should stand out of a film and make the audience coo like a pigeon. If you subscribe to that theory, fine, watch the Matrix and be happy. If you think that a special effect is a means to an end, a way to portray a fictional vista as a believable realism, then watch eXistenZ and marvel at how a grotesque and visceral world can be made so engrossingly real and intriguing. This film has its fair share of effects, but they are so well grafted into the ethos the film evokes that you just won't notice them on first viewing. And in contrast with the current trend towards computer-generated effects, Cronenburg knows the value of his tactile world; the physical creativity involved in the gristle-gun building scene is a fantastic example.

Okay, so virtual reality has been used many times as a concept - and by films that actually came BEFORE the Matrix too - but the totality with which this film portrays its own organic brand of VR is truly engrossing. Jude Law and Jennifer Jason Leigh are utterly watch-able and the chemistry between them is the perfect vehicle to lead an audience through the admittedly gruesome situations the film describes.

There is an element of old-fashioned escapist fantasy in this film that manages to be strangely endearing despite the gore and I suggest that this is where the film triumphs - a triumph that can be attributed to clever writing, intelligent acting and characterisation, a compelling story, charismatic leads, a vivid and disciplined imagination and the discerning use of effects and visual style.

If the Matrix is an `oooh, aaah' sort of film, then this is more an `oooh, eeugh' movie - but don't allow the glare of the Matrix to dull your senses to the darker appeal of eXistenZ.

Wouldn't it be great, if you could really recreate, a world inside a simulation, to release imagination, everything feels like it should, you just need to have a plug, connected into your back socket, a human docking kind of pocket, then enact against your friends, a myriad of worlds to blend, conjure up crazy locations, solving puzzles and creations, couldn't tell which world you're on, reproduction or the one, perhaps you're visiting there now, but haven't worked out why or how.

An innovative and perpetually relevant story of how we'll all be hoodwinked in the end. Let's just hope we have the chance to pause or cancel while we still can.

Antenna Research is testing a new game system eXistenZ created by great game designer Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh). An assassin shoots her with an undetectable organic gun. She is injured and marketing trainee Ted Pikul (Jude Law) takes her away from the danger. Her pod contains the only copy of eXistenZ and she has to test it. Ted is forced to get a bio-port installed by underground installer Gas (Willem Dafoe). However he turns out to be out for the contract on her life. It's a long road where reality is questionable and the world is full of danger.

It's a lot of ooey gooey organic effects and perverse sexuality. I'm not sure if Cronenberg is actually making a point but it seems to be warning a merging and confusion between reality and game. It's a lot of weird stuff going on. It's not scary or even disgusting. It's just oddly fascinating.

From the brilliantly twisted mind of director David Cronenberg comes "eXistenZ." What is "eXistenZ," exactly? A new male enhancement product? No, rather, it's a reality enhancement product; a new type of video-game/virtual reality experience, to be even more specific. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays the programmer of said video game, while Jude Law plays her hapless protector and our surrogate as the audience. The further down the rabbit-hole Law's character goes, so too do we, until we are left dizzy and without words to describe what we just saw.

Early in the film, our characters are on the run from somebody who wants to do away with this ground-breaking technology. They'll have to deal with a creepy Willem DeFoe character and deadly spores along the way, while still finding time to explore their new reality and test their limitations. Cronenberg's film pretty much hits the ground running and doesn't allow us the chance to catch our breath as it levels up. Because this is vintage Cronenberg, of course there is plenty of gooey grossness to go around, the least of which are the "portholes" that allow would-be gamers to plug in. Those crushing on the lovely Leigh may find themselves feeling somewhat conflicted about whether the "porthole" exploring is sensual or nausea inducing.

Plot-wise, the film draws comparisons to other late '90s tech- thrillers like "Dark City" and "The Matrix." Heck, even the DVD box- art states that "eXistenZ" "makes 'The Matrix' look like 'Child's Play.'" Well, I don't know about all that, seeing as how I personally don't ever recall seeing a killer doll dodging bullets in that movie, but no matter. What sets "eXistenZ" apart is that it is less focused on its dystopian future and more focused on our present quandary in balancing technological advances with good old down-to- earth human experience. Like the best Cronenberg films, "eXistenZ" has a lot to say about that subject, but doesn't bludgeon or bore his audience with it. Trade the giant placenta-like sacks of skin in this film for the latest iPhone, and it's safe to say that "eXistenZ" was ahead of its time, to say the least.