High-Rise (2016) (English Language)

Review

119min

Genre:       Drama, Sci-fi

Director:    Ben Wheatley

Cast:         Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller…and more

Writers:     J.G. Ballard & Amy Jump

-Synopsis-

A young doctor movies into a state-of-the-art London high-rise building, the pinnacle of modern British living, where residents live within a rigid hierarchy and fractured class system. But when the building fails to stand as a beacon of perfection; things quickly descend into decadence and madness as the veneer of civility wears off in this dark anarchic satire about class division and the corruptive nature of modern urban living.

Based on J.G. Ballard’s 1970s dark and scathingly satirical dystopian novel, director Ben Wheatley’s adaptation sticks with a colourful “Kubrickesque” aesthetic while piling on the style and infusing ‘High-Rise’ with no small measure of dark humour, among the anarchy and brutality.

‘High-Rise’  is surreal modernist nightmare, so there’s no point in asking yourself; why don’t they just leave or go somewhere else?

The building is an inescapable microcosm of society, like the island is for the boys in ‘Lord of the Flies’, and it illuminates the very thin line between a “functioning” civilisation and complete societal breakdown when the proverbial s__t hits the fan.

‘High-Rise’ features an eclectic cast of established British screen, stage and comedy actors, led by Tom Hiddleston as Dr. Robert Laing; an emotionally detached doctor who bridges the chasm between the classes in the building, which are literally separated from top to bottom floors. And he is the point of view character for the audience in all this madness, which itself is a commentary on how those with lack of empathy, amenable outward personalities and general psychopathic tendencies tend to thrive in capitalist societies.

Ben Wheatley’s adaptation is certainly a highly stylized adaptation of the source material and it’s easy to see where the criticisms of style over substance come from. Featuring multiple slow-motion montages and moments of Louis XIV-style decadence and opulence, ‘High-Rise’ can often feel like a surreal music video, given it’s rather muddled narrative.

But that’s sort of the point of an anarchic satire, isn’t it? It’s supposed to be mad and all over the place.

However, whether Wheatley has deliberately sacrificed a flowing cohesive story structure for the sake of stylistic impact, or his approach is a deliberate part of the narrative, the result is a film that makes it’s point but then feels like it drags on and on, and that’s the problem.

‘High-Rise’ ultimately feels overly long and completely detached from its audience, and that ain’t good for a rather standard drama runtime of 2 hours.

Whether that’s a deliberate reflection of society or not, the result is a film with unrelatable characters that should deliver a far more resonant anti-Thatcherite/Reaganist message which is just as timely today.

But although entertaining and packed with stylish food-for-thought, ‘High-Rise’ is too detached for its own good, and is ironically too well-contained within its own concrete walls and faltering narrative to make the wider impact we hoped for.

The Bottom Line…

Human madness in a tall concrete box; despite being over-stylized and all over the place, ‘High-Rise’ is a stark and darkly comic anarchic satire which manages to both entertain and provoke thought, if not profoundly impact an audience. Thanks largely to outstanding source material about the precarious nature of our society and its outdated class system, which remains disappointingly resonant today.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Stanley Kubrick’s masterful adaptation of  Anthony Burgess’s dystopian novella; starring Malcolm McDowell as a violent young gang-leader who volunteers for a radical and ultimately doomed new government therapy after being jailed for his crimes, a scathing satire about government control in an increasingly violent and fractured society.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates among others.

Comments

comments

Comments are closed.