But this is mostly about identity. A scene that feels flat and perfunctory is followed by something breathtaking. it has a compelling story about identity and escaping reality, very good performances (especially from Robin Wright) and some amazing animation. Folman has a lot to say about various topics, and astonishingly his points all hold together. Great actors in this! Tue Sep 09, 2014 at 7:58pm ET Tue Sep 09, 2014 at 7:58 pm EDT By Ron Wilkinson Leave a comment. the congress is very well made movie. But then again, this is the same website that gives extremely inflated ratings to a lot of generic superhero flicks. The Congress stars Robin Wright as a washed up version of herself that is offered one final contract that essentially gives Miramount studios, a fictional conglomerate movie studio, the exclusive rights to, well, Robin Wright. but at it's heart this is an impressive film it just should have been shorter and i believe it will appeal to a lot of people particularly art house fans, Israeli director Ari Folman’s fourth film, THE CONGRESS is the much anticipated follow-up after his Oscar-nominated animation-documentary WALTZ WITH BASHIR (2008), which to my ruefulness I have yet to watch, since I am eternally lagging in the field of documentaries, let alone a war. I have no problem with mixing animation into the film but I have a problem with the scenario itself. Still, it's worth taking a trip into. It paints a vision of the future where individuality and anything resembling free will is supplanted by delicious chemical cocktails and a candy-coated reversal. This sounds like exactly the type of thing that I love. External Reviews Twenty years later, she is the guest of honor at the Miramount Nagasaki Congress, which presents its latest invention: live your own film, obtained on prescription... CANNES FILM FESTIVAL: Nothing if not ambitious, Ari Folman’s long-in-production follow-up to his 2008 hit Waltz with Bashir is based upon a 1971 novel by Polish sci-fi master Stanislaw Lem—The Futurological Congress—and begins intriguingly, with an opening onscreen credit: 'Robyn Wright at [not 'in’] The Congress’. Still, given the opportunity to go wild after the success of Waltz With Bashir , Folman’s done exactly that; the riot of imagination on display here makes his filmmaking future look very exciting indeed. " In fact, it’s clearly inspired by the Fleischer Studios’ output from the 1930s, and as such, is not only very different to what one might have expected, but also presents a further obstacle to credibility. The storyline intrigued me. Then for the next hour, it turns into an animated film which stays close to the novel The Futurological Congress, a completely surreal experience. Receive news and offers from our other brands? Now this is a great movie. Which might just be excusable, were Wright not herself such a gifted naturalistic actor. New York, Harvey Keitel gives a great performance as Robin's agent, long time friend, confidant and champion. | More than once, a reference is made to the 'awful men’ in her past . . Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. . One can tell that a high level of competence and creative ambition went into making the film. Great ending, so perfectly complete. Find a way to see, then support "The Congress". Thank you holiday season. The Congress review The future’s so Wright By Stephen Kelly 11 August 2014. User Ratings It is also the only website where a show like "Mr. Pickles" could be rated so high. We've picked... Our editors select 10 interesting films headed to theaters next month,... What to Watch Now: Best New Streaming Movies & TV at Netflix, Amazon, iTunes, and Hulu. This has got so much going on, and there is just so much great movie here. A fascinating and visually impressive intellectual helter-skelter ride, but the lack of narrative coherence lets down its promising sci-fi concepts and satire. She still wants to hang on to her sense of self, and more importantly, find Aaron after losing him for twenty years. Folman makes one phantasmagorical leap after another, adding a live-action coda, but the visual freedom doesn't expand the story, it abandons it. This view of reality only existing in our minds would be painfully solipsistic if everything wasn’t tinged with sadness and fear (although thankfully the movie isn’t completely humorless). He wants to make the visuals alluring but the consequences are unnerving. Lem’s story is merely a springboard for Folman’s wildly sprawling meditations on what the advent of virtual performance means — for artistic integrity, creative spirit, celebrity culture, human identity, even our hold on reality.