THE CONGRESS

It sounds like a head-trip, but this isn’t even the start of it. The Futurological Congress is an animated sight to behold, filtering a kind of Looney Tunes-esque insanity through Folman and animation director Yoni Goodman’s unique fluid style. It’s a world that defies logic, size, gravity and explanation, rendered in vivid and explosive colours. It isn’t a far step away from the French animated classic ‘Fantastic Planet’ (1973) except brimming with pop culture references. As a whole, ‘The Congress’ is a film very much rooted in our reality, continuously referring to real people, places and events, either explicitly or suggestively. It’s overflowing with ideas and social commentary, so much so that at times the intellectual content can be as overwhelming as the visuals. What makes the film work so well though is the stability of its first half before entering the hallucination of the second, giving a strong narrative and character base before jettisoning off into the skies. Even in the transition from live-action to animation, Folman maintains a level of consistency, so that the transition doesn’t jolt as much as you would expect.

It also helps that the central performance from Robin Wright is as accomplished and fearless as it is. It takes a lot of guts to submit yourself to this level of personal interrogation, playing yourself in a fictionalised reality, but Wright approaches it with the same grace and ferocity we’ve come to expect from her. It’s a staggering performance, even in animation. The supporting cast is also terrific, especially Keitel, who hasn’t been this good in years, and Huston is as wonderfully slimy as Smit-McPhee is quietly heartbreaking. There’s also great work from Paul Giamatti and Jon Hamm. A film like this would never work without the full commitment from its cast, and Folman has been blessed in this instance with a tremendous ensemble.

‘The Congress’ is about as strange a film you are likely to find, but also about as wildly intelligent or imaginative as well. Much of it is hard to explain or fully understand, but that doesn’t make it any less worth your time. It’s a singular, beautiful vision from Ari Folman, and the kind of film you’ll want to return to often to keep dipping into its mysteries. It’s not for the casual cinema buff, but for those willing to step through its looking glass, this is one hell of a trip.

PICTURE & SOUND
Madman have released ‘The Congress’ on DVD only, and while it would have looked spectacular in high definition, there may not be as much interest in the release here as there has been overseas. Apart from the usual loss of detail and clarity, the 1.85:1 transfer still captures the beautiful colours in the animated sequence and the washed-out muted beauty of the live action sequence. There’s also a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that does its job well, with Max Richter’s gorgeous score, the vibrant sound design and the dialogue all in balance. As far as DVD presentations go, there’s little to complain about here.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Unfortunately there are no special features offered with the release. International releases do include a commentary with Folman, Goodman and production designer David Polonsky, which would have been a welcome addition here.