4/5 stars

From the moment the opening credits roll, there’s no doubt that Holy Motors is a French film. Only our neighbours across the channel are capable of producing such beautifully bizarre cinema without appearing pretentious, and it’s difficult to describe this particular film as anything other than a glorious cinematic descent into madness. In the first scene, Holy Motors establishes itself as self-aware, and uses this to its advantage throughout, creating an experience unlike any I can remember.

Writer-director Leos Carax has created a fantasy world in which the central character Mr Oscar (played by an excellent Denis Lavant) is taxied around Paris by his faithful chauffer Celine to various “appointments”. Each of these engagements seem to pay homage to the art of cinema itself: assuming the role of whatever character he is assigned, Mr Oscar becomes a character in a heartfelt bedside drama, a gangster movie, and even a musical, in which Kylie Minogue features as his ex-lover.

However, by no means is Holy Motors an easy film to sit through. Not just a tribute to the art of cinema, this is a film about watching and being watched. That message is not particularly subtle, as we become uncomfortable voyeurs in a seedy world of simulated sex and graphic violence. At one point, there is even a conversation between Oscar and a man we assume is his employer, about how technology has advanced so far, it’s now difficult to know when you are being watched and who by.

But the fact the film’s intentions are so open to interpretation is part of the reason it impresses so much. In Holy Motors, Carax has created a thought-provoking and entertaining piece of cinema. It will probably struggle to find mainstream popularity, but for those who seek something completely different, this film comes highly recommended.

Hannah Woodhead