- debuting at Cannes in 2008 to mostly glum reviews, Lucrecia Martel's The Headless Woman has been picking up critical steam since, topping indiewire's "Undistributed 2008 Films" list.
- Martel's film is extremely disorienting--it mostly follows bourgeoisie MILF Vero in the aftermath of her running over something(/someone?) while reaching for her cellphone
- one could admire for Martel's dedication to plot dictating form--the viewer is certainly as disconnected with the story as Vero is with reality--but Martel forgot to give us a reason to give a shit about the woman we're constantly following. I spent most of the film wondering how people relate to Vero and why people kept telling her to wash her hair than worrying about Vero--or its apparent class commentary, which shows the stratification but doesn't have much to say.
- thank goodness Martel and D.P. Barabra Alvarez can compose interesting shots, edited very cleanly and rarely overstaying their welcome. in fact, the first few minutes are probably the most interesting as the camera follows three lower class boys and a dog in a friendly chase.
- at only 87 minutes, The Headless Woman isn't so much difficult for a lack of drama, but rather because it refuses to fill us in on its point
4/finely framed, but lacking in any apparent message to justify its form or your time
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