Aurora

The movie itself is a weird mix of many things and it is not for everybody. It's a head thing (pun intended) and might strike you the wrong way. But if you are into the idea of the fantastic and have no issues with a bit of skin, then you might be positively surprised by this science fiction/fantasy entry.

The acting might seem wooden at times and the main character might be sliding into the territory of "don't do that"-yell from the audience, but overall the switch between worlds and the interaction feels real (which is funny if you think about it). The movie itself is not made as a comedy though, it is more structured like a drama/thriller. If you want to see something different, go ahead

I've seen today this VANISHING WAVES from the promising Lithuanian director Kristina Buozyte at "Fantasporto" (film festival from Oporto, my hometown) and I was amazed with it! I already knew it had won some important prizes, including one Melies D'Or, as the best European fantastic feature film, but even so I wasn't expecting such remarkable movie.

It combines many genres and sub-genres of cinema (from sci-fi to mystery thriller, romance to surrealism, among others) but it ends being a unique experience with an excellent directing work. At parts it made me remind some surrealistic movies of the 70's and their weird and abstract cinematography! I don't know if it was intended or not but I think it resembles to them in so many scenes!

The plot is not so ambiguous and twisted like those 70's surreal movies but at parts it's also a bit unclear and puzzling. However, at the end I think the message is quite clear and strong! But in a film like this the plot is what matters the less anyway. The beauty of this movie is in its colors, its intensity, the weird scenarios and the surreal ambiences! The camera work is also excellent showing some twisted angles and some little details that provide an amazing visual effect.

I was perfectly astonished with this film and from now on I'm expecting a lot from this director, Kristina Buozyte (which besides a good director seems to be a sympathetic person; she was also there at Fantasporto, presenting the movie!:)

If you like stark art-house sci-fi, this film has aged well imho, 10 years down the line. A cross between Dreamscape and maybe Darren Aronofsky's Pi. I only stumbled across it as Vespers is available now, and this film sounded compelling and strange.

The pacing is slow, and a lot rides on the main male actor (there is a nice device where he has to shave his head to connect via a neural net). There are waves a plenty, he submerges in a sort of isolation tank (viva "Altered States") and then quite literally floats into the mind of a comatose patient.

There's a sort of mystery to her, and he becomes both watcher and participant, as he dives into her memories. A lot of sense indulgence, including an orgy where I think some subtle body/image morphing went on. Food, sex, near-drowning experiences. Is it just me, or will Existentialists defeat the attack of AI ;>

Some of the research lab camaraderie fell a bit flat, but the polyglot world of different languages was a nice touch. The role of the watchful psychiatrist came with a lot of tension, in how the camera pitted him vs the lead. But I found that relationship a little unsatisfactory by the end.

That and I could have sworn the first scene played a trick on us, but maybe was a flash forward burst of cinematic consciousness?

Overall the set decor and low-budget high-idea meld worked for me. Really the pace was no problem, maybe at the end there is chase that goes on too long, but I think it was some footage/lighting that the director was happy with.

I am referencing the Pink Floyd song with my review title, as it has a weird accidental synchronicity with the film, or so I can convince myself.

There were a lot of neuro-scientists credited in the closing titles, I am curious to maybe read up on them in terms of this film, or better yet their own research. The idea from this film perhaps crossed with "The Diving Bell and the Buttefly" (a great film with a mild parallel here) - that might make a fascinating new movie, or better yet documentary on some breakthrough in neuroscience.

Something about thinking about thinking, and the mind unfolded from the brain's fissures....that can be uncomfortably numbing.

This film is a simple step towards more complicated matters, so bumping it up to an 8.

This would have worked much better as a 20-minute short. Even at that, it would have been *interesting*... but not anything all that special. To clarify where I'm coming from, yes, I like many so-called art-house films, and don't mind long takes per se, but this movie had so many scenes where I was begging for them to end and move on to the next bit of business, because they were so tedious.

More problems: The leads are not particularly charismatic, nor do we ever really care about any of the characters. And overall, this film just doesn't really have much to say. About anything.

Honestly, I cannot really even explain why I sat through the entire length of the film, other than to say I suppose I kept hoping for something to happen. There were no surprises here whatsoever. The only reason I'm leaving this review here is so that other people don't stumble across it and get the impression from some of the other comments that it's worthwhile seeing. In my opinion, it's not.

Stanley Kubrick meets Gaspar Noe in Lithuanian director Kristina Buozyte's third feature, co-written with Bruno Samper, a visually stunning, sexy sci-fi romantic thriller that's winning awards and taking festivals by storm. Here, at Fantastic Fest, "Vanishing Waves" took four of the five jury trophies in the Fantastic Features category: Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and Actress (Jurga Jutaite).

Don't arrive late because a brief opening narration sets up the story's premise. In a line, scientists discover a way to wire the "inactive" brain of a comatose patient (Aurora, portrayed by Jurga Jutaite) with that of a healthy subject (Marius Jampolskis as Lukas) as a way of peering into the secret workings of the coma victim's mind. Of course, things don't necessarily go as planned. Fans of 9 Songs and Anatomy of Hell will appreciate the continual forays into what some might call a soft porn ballet as the neurological experiments progress.

More than anything, the movie is a sci-fi conundrum interspersed with an erotically-charged, luscious program of modern dance. Jutaite and Jampolskis are absolutely wedded to these performances. Emotions are delicately underplayed, with the focus on the on screen pas-de-deux. There's very little dialogue as the script favors feelings and thoughts over actions and reactions.

The lush look of the film is its overarching achievement. It opens with a ONEr -- a single long take that immediately establishes this as a cinematographic showcase. Director of Photography Feliksas Abrukauskas helps craft a motion picture that would be gorgeous to watch even without any plot at all. "Vanishing Waves" has, unquestionably, some of the most beautiful cinematography of any film I've seen all year.

The regular but judicious use of single takes and long tracking shots enhance the fluidity of the action and keep the characters constantly in motion within the frame. There are no shaky hand-held images here -- this is a study in the effective use of Steadicam in telling a story beyond the limits of the scripted page. Editor Suzanne Fenn trusts the viewer's eye will know when to take a rest from this delicious assault on the senses and keeps cuts to a minimum.

Aurora and Lukas are bathed in light, viewed in oversaturated images almost devoid of color. The film is filled with the blacks and grays and whites so ubiquitous in the science fiction genre. The monochromatic clinic set is black and white. Shots in Lukas' house utilize a cold color palette dominated by pastel blues. The only primary colors on display owe their appearance to the occasional food-centric dream sequence.

Peter Von Poehl's sweeping original score rests on a continuous humming that echoes the electronic drone of the medical equipment as well as the imagined workings of the human brain. It's magnificently integrated into the narrative.

"Vanishing Waves" is simply gorgeous to behold. The premise is elegant but the execution of the dream sequences will sweep you off your brain. This is a singular cinematic experience to savor like an all-night gourmet meal or foray into sexual experimentation. Or both at once.