Haneke’s shocking work daringly dissects the nature of love, sexual desire, sadomasochism and power with a fierce intelligence that is matched only by arguably Isabelle Huppert’s finest ever performance.
Haneke’s attempt to find his singular voice in our modern, technological society feels uncannily familiar, though the film’s numerous themes don’t quite come across as typically succinct.
Another astonishing Haneke film that deals with psychological and philosophical depth the realities of old age.
This is Haneke in peak form—made up of more than forty vignettes shot in long takes that combine to give us a fragmentary sense of what it feels like to live in a multi-racial yet racist, technological yet incommunicable post-2000s world.
A shot-by-shot U.S. remake by Haneke himself of his earlier work, which might just challenge more viewers to tackle his singular filmography.
It doesn’t quite bring you to any substantive destination, but Haneke’s attempt at the dystopian apocalyptic drama tries to find compassion when there is absolutely none.
Prefiguring the likes of ‘Funny Games’ and ‘Cache’, Haneke’s second feature is a challenging and disturbing work on media violence and its psychological ramifications.
A solid, uncompromising theatrical debut by Haneke, one that would see the auteur continue to shock and challenge audiences in different ways for the next two decades.
Eternality Tan 