Rating of
3/4
Hit the road Jack!
Matthew Brady - wrote on 12/24/18
“You want me to show you to the next whisky bar?”
After giving it some thought, I’m still lost and filled with thoughts.
How do I talk about the most polarizing movie of 2018. The movie that caused such a uproar at Cannes with 100 people walking out, which I bet made Lars sip on his warm tea with delight. This kind of noise only boosted my excitement even more. Actually, I was anticipating it, but also feared it, because here’s the question: Will it live up to the hype?
Well...
‘The House That Jack Built’ is a horrible and cruel movie that examines the worst in humanity….but I kinda liked it. Ugly, yet strangely beautiful. The cinematography, editing, and the handheld camera work is all fantastic. Very hard to digest, yet very hard to forget.
Matt Dillon is absolutely terrific as the devilish artist with an eye for perfection. It’s a real shame he won’t be getting any award recognition, because it’s one of the best performance of his career. His black eyes and dead booming voice only names a few traits. An architect who destroys what he creates. Concrete, bricks and wood simply won’t do, but flesh and bone is considered. Still, a serial killer with OCD? Hit the road Jack!
Even the supporting cast, despite they minuscule screen time, still gave stellar performances. The screens between Bruno Ganz and Matt Dillon are the most fascinating aspects of the film. Ganz being the audience member, listening and debating with Jack.
Now Lars Von Trier isn’t a stranger when it comes to controversy. Right from the beginning, I could tell he made this movie for himself. A narcissistic and prejudice statement on art and icons. Basically the main character is a metaphor of him, hence why I would consider this his most personal work and perhaps his last. A genius director with a bad sense of humor.
The portrayal of violence is absolutely brutal and definitely not for the faint of heart. What’s even worse is you feel every kill - it’s that’s effective. I actually gasp at one scene. None of it came off as edgy or anything like that. Although grizzly and bitter, yet strangely comedic - something you wouldn’t expect coming from a movie that caused many walkouts.
There’s plenty of symbolism and discussion on different topics that defines Jack; especially Nazi’s. Probably the most talked about scene involves a mother and her two children, if you know what I mean. The scene itself reflects the crazy Nazi army who threw baby’s in the air, and shoot them like target practice. Another scene where Jack kidnaps and ties up a group of men ready to execute them with one full metal jacket bullet - similar to a experimental technique used by them. I find it suspicious Von Trier has such knowledge on the Nazi army after the infamous ban at Cannes.
For issues: The movie can get a bit arty-farty and halfway through shifts focus on two characters narrating about anything. While those conversations serve as interesting little trivia, but felt like filler.
Putting aside my critiques, I would like to address my deepest concern for Von Trier's mental state. He looks incredibly unwell and without a glimpse of happiness. He’s always been very open about his health and expressed it through his art. I can imagine him sitting alone with flakes of grey in his beard, contemplating the reality of the situation - nobody wants to help.
Oh Lars.
