Commercialised and commodified tragedy is all the rage in Vox Lux, Brady Corbet's uncompromising second feature which has finally arrived in the UK for audiences ready and raring to indulge in the pageantry. Self-labelled as a "twenty-first-century portrait", the extravagant piece is certainly not lacking in confidence but it is that conviction which carries this immersive and intriguing (if slightly messy) spectacle to glory.
Celeste (Raffey Cassidy) finds herself launched into stardom after surviving a school massacre along with her sister, Eleanor. With her sudden rise to fame occurring on the hinge of the century, a young Celeste becomes the emblem of a nation's grief and evolving times. Some 18 years after the event, Celeste's (Natalie Portman) attempt at a career rebirth is mired by another tragedy with an unsettling connection. A mesmerising, contemporary examination of hollow fame, loss of innocence and the public's obsession with celebrity, further laced with religious undertones, Vox Lux is bursting at the bedazzled seams with incendiary ideas to dissect.
If you've come for a subtlety, Vox Lux isn't for you. A self-righteous and provocative piece of cinema designed to invoke a reaction, it refuses to shy away from the potent, zeitgeist-obliterating themes it traverses. Almost overwhelming at times, Corbet's screenplay is a lot to take in, packed to the rafters with thematic content impossible to fully digest on first viewing; it will no doubt be further rewarding on a revisit in the near future. It zips between genres and tones tirelessly, both invigorating and exhausting in equal measures. Tied with effective narration from Willem Dafoe, which help ease that tonal whiplash (also resulted from Celeste's volatile personality) and the film's time jump, there is a cohesive vision with noble ambitions, no matter how frenzied it sometimes becomes.
Perhaps most impressive though is the number of facets to its lead character. Beneath the shiny surface - of both Vox Lux AND Celeste - is a darker core that only so much stage makeup and dazzling costumes can disguise. Riveting in its discussions and because of the unbelievable amount it offers for unpicking, the varied readings between audience members will amaze: whether you decide to view Celeste as a girl engulfed by the mechanics and temptations of fame, or as a manipulator that used her situation as a career springboard, the complexity of the character is utterly fascinating. Maybe it is the cynical side to me that leads to my siding with the latter reading but it's most enlightening to hear of the various interpretations Vox Lux offers.
From the arresting, intense opening sequence, which burns in its relevancy, to the breath-taking musical performance which closes the film, Corbet's direction is staggering. Enhanced by gorgeous and striking visuals, served up by cinematographer Lol Crawley and supported by the various art departments that create a larger scale than its production budget probably offered, Vox Lux dazzles. It truly looks and sounds every inch the superstar part. Furthermore, the film's impressive opening and closing credits aid the wall-to-wall experience like the best of pop concerts, interlacing important iconography, pop ideologies and theme work into these aesthetics, both striking and technically impressive. From masterful, lingering camerawork to almost haunting establishing shots, Corbert's skill far surpasses that of a sophomore director.
Natalie Portman certainly commits to the role of older Celeste. Marvellously messy, either by accident or design, the star delivers a fierce performance that augments the worst fragments of Celeste's personality, damaged by fame and notoriety. Ferocious and unflinching, Portman leaves everything on the stage and then some, captivating and show-stopping as a version of a fascinating character borne out of tragic circumstances. Additionally, in her dual role, Raffey Cassidy shines, even finding herself spread across the two different time periods. Perhaps even more so on a rewatch, Cassidy's turn is skilled, impressing in her nuanced ability to fortify the various readings of the character, exploring her loss of innocence remarkably. The pair's performances are knowing, which leads you to believe that everything is intentional: it needed to sell that in order to keep this sensory overload on track.
Sia's musical creations superbly tow the line between derivative and mindless pop machinery and truly impressive tunes that delve deeper than its flashy surface and sugary substance suggest. "Wrapped Up", crucial in convincing of Celeste's talent and potential, is a highlight, while "Sweat and Tears" would not be out of place in any of the pop girl's discographies; they are all so enjoyable, in fact, that you wish them more space to breathe in the final medley. Backed up with a beautifully hypnotic score by the late Scott Walker, his gloriously atmospheric composition - searing with sharp, stabby strings - enriches the film's unsettling ambience. Used so tremendously throughout the film, Walker's work here is superlative.
Vox Lux's ambition cannot be faulted, and even when the film overwhelms, Brady Corbert's immersive direction, the committed performances from its role-sharing, magnetic leads, catchy soundtrack and score, and outstanding cinematography thrive, orchestrating a slick performance that offers a rarely-depicted but endlessly-fascinating insight into stardom, tragedy and loss of innocence. With such a layered, complex character at its dark soul, it is never less than utterly hypnotic and whether you end up loving or loathing it, you probably won't stop thinking about it. Bring on the Celeste World Tour, I say!
Summary: Like the musical earworms that populate this incendiary story of stardom borne out of tragedy, Vox Lux lodges itself in your mind and utterly captivates. An unflinchingly ambitious and thematic contemporary study, the Natalie Portman-led spectacle dazzles and fascinates.
Vox Lux's ambition cannot be faulted, and even when the film overwhelms, Brady Corbert's immersive direction, the committed performances from its role-sharing, magnetic leads, catchy soundtrack and score, and outstanding cinematography thrive, orchestrating a slick performance that offers a rarely-depicted but endlessly-fascinating insight into stardom, tragedy and loss of innocence. With such a layered, complex character at its dark soul, it is never less than utterly hypnotic and whether you end up loving or loathing it, you probably won't stop thinking about it. Bring on the Celeste World Tour, I say!
Summary: Like the musical earworms that populate this incendiary story of stardom borne out of tragedy, Vox Lux lodges itself in your mind and utterly captivates. An unflinchingly ambitious and thematic contemporary study, the Natalie Portman-led spectacle dazzles and fascinates.