Womb

Films with lingering shots of a beach or a face or a road to me can sometimes come off as pretentious dribble, not the case with Womb, I found this movie to be absolutely stunning. There's no other word for it, some people would easily find this movie to be boring due to the extremely slow pace and lack of dialogue, but in my opinion that all just adds to the atmosphere that the director was trying to create.

There is no way at all to tell what year this film is set but I'm guessing it would be in the not too distant future, let's face it, the advances in science these days it's not too long before human cloning will be a part of our society. A lot of things I've heard about Womb quite often compare it to Birth, which is a pretty good comparison I think, both films have a lot of similarities. I couldn't help but pick up vibes from another film Never Let Me Go, the controversial subject matter is similar, the underlying sci-fi element, the moral question the viewer faces and the stillness of both films are very much the same.

Eva Green is wonderful to watch, she gives such a wonderfully restrained performance that's it's surprising she didn't get noticed more for her role. Ever since I saw the terrific Cracks a few years ago I look forward to seeing what edgy role she decides to take on next, Matt Smith, who I'm not so familiar with also does a good job. The children at the beginning of the film deserve a mention too, it seems as though child actors are just getting better and better as time goes on.

Certainly not a film for everyone, but for people who like a bit of a discussion after a film it's perfect.

LOVED IT!!!

When first reading about this film, I thought to myself there is no way I shall be watching this; however, somehow I did end up watching it.

Eva Green was absolutely incredible and gave true meaning to the character. The character's constant state of shock is beautifully performed and she manages to keep the character so real and uses naturalistic dexterity. As for Matt Smith, he brought a true sense of innocence to his character and really allowed himself to connect to the audience as a third-party character.

Director, Benedek Fliegauf, did a superb job at keeping the realism of the piece. Often with these types of story lines, they lose meaning due to over acting and melodrama, however the director allowed everything to have a sense of stillness and time was a fantastic theme used throughout the story. The use of water that appeared a lot was very well crafted to represent the process of life to death; and this had good relation to the story itself.

As I don't want to give away too much, I shall just say the final scene left me in tears. Whilst the concept is rather disturbing, as it contradicts morals and is extremely controversial, it was played out in such a way, it allows the viewer to actually connect with the characters and see the situation from their point of view. It's a great example of how the bad can be perceived as good and how viewers can emotionally connect with characters, who did seem ever so real.

this is an emotionally and morally complex film.

the setting is bare, the dialog minimal, and all to leave room for the context which is massive.

the isolation serves to preserve the womb till the moment of all release, and therefore the moment of ultimate loss. there are many quiet metaphors in this film.

and it is these quiet choices that show some brilliant forethought on the part of the film-makers. it is brilliant film-making. if you can get past the squirminess of it all. and no doubt some day soon, if science has its way -as it will- this story will come true. just over a hundred years ago most believed that man would never fly.

This movie is not for those who are looking for action or for a fast paced movie. The movie takes you to the very beginning and takes it's time to build the relationships that will eventually be the cause for the controversial decision made by the main character. There is one scene that happens so suddenly and it is this event that brings about the controversial issue in this film. The acting is done really well by the few characters that we see, they seem immersed in the situation, filled with as much emotion as you would expect. The second half of the movie will have you debating with others and yourself on what stance you would take. And perhaps as you're watching the movie you have an idea of what the outcome will be, but the movie engages you to keep watching to see how it all plays out in this unique situation that we're presented with.

This movie delivers everything I seek in cinema: Entrancing cinematography, engaging direction, stirring of emotions and challenging themes. It's beautiful, intense and had me engrossed throughout. The cold, stark and stunning set locations are as much a part of the story telling as the dialogue is, serving to enrich the feelings and situations conveyed by the characters. It is a quiet film filled with visual beauty and soul. This is one of those rare movies that pulls you into another world, one which lingers and haunts you long after the movie has ended. I watched this film yesterday and am already wanting to revisit it.

Certain scenes made me feel uneasy, but rightfully so, given the subject matter. The sensitive story-line is conveyed well by all involved, enabling the viewer to empathise with both of the main characters rather than feeling alienated from them, which was a possibility with such a story-line. I think it was a clever move to not linger upon or delve much into the complexities of the actual cloning process and instead focus on the lives and emotions of the characters before and after that event. The film would have benefited from further developing the love formed between the two main characters as children so as we can better appreciate the intensity of their feelings when they meet again as adults. The director has said that they spent the whole summer together as children, yet this is not evident in the film. Still, I don't believe the movie suffered from this lapse as the acting by Eva Green is strong enough to convey her character's intensity and give reason to the choices she made.

The topic of human cloning is a controversial and complex one and in this day and age is not as much science-fiction as it is a genuine possibility in our future. A fictional, two hour film cannot hope to provide any real answer to any of the concerns posed by such a topic, but what this film manages to do is take on some emotional aspects of the topic and turn them into a haunting and thoughtful work of art. 9/10.