Suspension of Disbelief

Mike Figgis continues to move in his own inimitable fashion creating films that require concentration, patience, and some indulgences from the viewer, but films that in the end are like wonderful paintings to hang in a gallery for repeated exposure and admiration. Figgis wrote, directed, composed the musical score, edited, and performed the cinematography for this puzzling work: it works very well if your mind is sharpened and up to a challenge.

Socialite Martin (Sebastian Koch) is an accomplished writer of cinema and theatre who now teaches his trade to film school students. Fifteen years ago his wife disappeared after an argument, has not been seen or heard from since, and Martin has been left to singly raise his daughter Sarah (Rebecca Night) who aspires to be an actress like her mother. At her 25th birthday party, Martin encounters the mysterious Angelique (Lotte Verbeek) who is found dead the next morning. An investigation by the police leads to Martin being the prime suspect and with the arrival of Angelique's twin sister Therese, who comes to London regarding her sister's death, and with whom Martin has a fascination, comes even more questions concerning their brief fling. The are subplots galore: the entire film is being written as we see it and the director of Martin's film (Eoin Macken) is obsessed with Martin's daughter Sarah who also becomes physically involved with Therese. If all this sounds confusing it is meant to be: Martin's creative ploy is the concept that the character is the plot – and while it is puzzling at times, the manner in which it plays out is absolutely masterful.

Other actors in the supporting cast include Julian Sands, Lachlan Nieboer, Frances de la Tour and Kenneth Cranham. Every aspect of this film is creative – split screens, naming of scenes, strange photographic images, and interplaying story lines that somehow connect. This is a tough film but deserves the attention of those who love art films. The only problem is the level of sound of the spoken lines – it needs subtitles despite being n English, but none are available.

Grady Harp

15 September 2013 / by Bart (Amsterdam/Holland)

Nothing Personal but so far I find the rating of this film rather low. The cause may be that it requires some effort and a tiny bit of insight from the viewer. On top of that: this is an independent production and it is no straight 'Thriller'. Mike Figgis even provides us with a manual right from the start. Martin (Sebastian Koch) is a socialite screenwriter and teacher who gets intrigued by a beautiful French woman (Lotte Verbeek) gone missing in London. But she's part of an identical twin … So here we are right on the spot: 'Suspension of Disbelief'. Although presented as a thriller, the film heavily leans on the insights of Carl Jung. The wary film noir interludes and erotic touches to this film are cleverly shot and edited as they precisely fit this theme (and the sheer beauty of my fellow citizen). The average viewer will find this movie fairly enjoyable, great Leads, good script and pitch perfect music (Jazzy Figgis, Wagner, Radiohead). But no real sex, no fast pace and a strange, confusing end. The lives of others however will be mesmerized by the gradually emerging different realities and the big question mark at the end.

"Suspension of Disbelief" never suspends ours. Figgis fans will recognize many delightful Figgis narrative and cinematographic tropes, but sorely lacking is any narrative lure, any reason to keep watching. The film has ellipsis and mystery, but does not reward the viewer for countenancing those. At times the story elaboration is positively dreary. Even this film's meta-film leitmotif cannot salvage it. The film struggles with a paucity of narrative richness, and is devoid of the incandescent impending gleam so often to be found in Figgis's other films, most of which are marvelous. This flop is the exception that proves the rule that Figgis is Britain's best auteur.

I have to admit, that the original title is better than the German translation (which I translated back to English). We get a German actor here who is quite convincing in being ... well quite hard to decipher. Then again, we also have a story of others trying to deceive - but to what end and with what purpose? If there is one ... and who can we trust? Things that get layed out here.

And then we have the movie within a movie - which adds another layer to it. Which you'll either appreciate or not while watching this. Just do not expect this to be an erotic highlight or whatever you may read into this ... it is sizzling at times, but it is more teasing than actually pleasing ... that rhymes sort of! Nice. So you got the information, now you can decide if this is for you or not.

I liked it pretty well.

You have to put yourself in mind that what you are watching is a sort of film noir, with a beat score ... jazz from the 50's. In this movie, director Figgis may be working out some of the themes he runs into in his everyday cinematic life. But what seems most to be going on is an exploration of the possibilities in each of us. The movie is rather existential, which perhaps fits with the beat mantra, the era from which, born in 1948, the director himself sprang.

Realize that you are watching an art film, but one that makes a little more sense than David Lynch's Mulholland Drive or some of Terence Malick's self-conscious work. I found the ending a bit silly, and I began to expect a different denouement, one that would have been darker, perhaps with a twist. But the movie doesn't really leave you hanging to work out your own ending quite as much as so many modern movies do, and which the main character, a screenwriter and part-time screen writing teacher, says is okay because "life doesn't have a pat ending," to paraphrase. The ending even had a little of the Casablanca about it ... boy, I'm really mixing homages here. This movie probably won't go down in the pantheon of greats like Casablanca, but it was a nice effort; sort of an indulgent one, as the attitude the screenwriter takes toward the up-and-coming generation seems to be. But the screenwriter hasn't lost his touch, may even be more attuned than those coming up behind. Plus, Sebastian Koch is pretty nice to look at.