[CRITICAL] DEMOLITION

The previous film of Jean-Marc Vallée, Wild (2014), featured the life of Cheryl Strayed, fallen to the lowest (in the sex and drugs), following the death of his mother. The young girl was going to finally bounce back and rebuild themselves through a journey of initiation in nature. With DEMOLITION the canadian director discusses the matter again in the mourning, the reaction to the death, but it is more atypical. The closing itself off, and the detachment is emotional as protection are certainly present, but it is by the blend of humour and drama, caused by the reactions to successive and excessive of its main character, the film stands out.

Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal) sees his life switch when his wife dies after a car accident. The shock is violent, and Davis finds refuge in a form of autism. Becoming insensitive, it focuses its attention on the details that surround it to avoid any conversation around his wife. His first reflex will be to go out and buy a piece of candy in the dispenser of the hospital where he and his wife have been taken. The machine still stuck, Davis decided to write the claim service of the company manager to inform them of the design flaw. His letters in succession, in which he indulges and begins to nu – in the interests of “accuracy” it will tell detachment to the accident that he comes to live, and then his past life and his lack of feeling-are such an outlet and provide a first step to move forward.

The lack of emotion and the behavior of Davis will give rise to the misunderstanding of his in-laws. This is not the case of the spectator, not fooled by the light, for example, to throw himself on the automatic stop of a train for not having to respond to a question about his wife. On the contrary, it gives a feeling of sympathy and empathy strong for this man who feels nothing, who, unable to mourn his wife, come to think of it didn’t. Jean-Marc Vallée develops with intelligence a series of metaphors. By taking apart his furniture, his refrigerator, his computer, passing by the door creaking, a toilet stall at his work – to understand its working and try to fix it (it is there at the foot of the letter an old board of his father-in-law), Davis breaks down his own life. Scenes certainly were fun (yes, DEMOLITION is still very funny) but above all rich in symbolism.

Valley avoids, by its development, any artificiality and ease. This is making feel up in the relationship that he develops throughout the film between Davis and Karen. Interpreted by Naomi Watts, very good, Karen worked in the claims and receives the letters of Davis. It is also full of questioning of his personal life and finds a mirror in this man that book without really realizing it.

“DEMOLITION affects us with these characters broken that intersect one another, help each other out and romp each in their own way.”

Spent an attempt in vein to fix things, the title of the movie will make sense. Davis can’t fix the events, it must pass through the demolition to start on new bases. The demolition of the superfluous (her career, her clothes, her home and her past to be able to move forward. This is crescendo, a surge particularly effective on the part of Jean-Marc Vallée, which develops wonderfully his character. Thus, pressing of the doors (or rather walls, to blow) that Davis will find this emotion so much. And when he comes out of his shower, he can finally let flow the tears, in a superb scene that manages to represent the memories true to his wife. In this role, Jake Gyllenhaal is again outrageous. Capable of physical changes (Night Call), it is topped here with a subtlety fascinating a character of the most complex. He is just a look for us to upset or dance, headphones in the ears, in the middle of passers-by, unfazed, to take us away. In Jean-Marc Vallée the music has a great importance. It was all part of his storytelling process with Wild, she is here present, but is no less impressive. In particular, with the use of Crazy on you from Heart, which seems to regulate the impulses of this man.

DEMOLITION owes much to the way in which Jean-Marc Vallée takes the screenplay written by Bryan Sipe from his own artistic journey chaotic – the writer discovered the difficulty of constructing projects of all kinds, and not knowing who could walk went so far as to ” everything “. The director avoids, in fact, falling in some shots, in particular, always within the relationship / Davis / Karen, who turns out to be one of the great successes of DEMOLITION. There will add even a social dimension, through the son of Karen (impressive Judah Lewis), in the questioning around her sexuality, and a strong hand-dramatic, with the conversations more strained with her step-parents. Thus, these characters broken cross, they help each other out and romp each in their own way, and Jean-Marc Vallée touches us again, thanks to its mounting (image and soundtrack) specific and thoughtful, and its staging, which immerse us with as much humor as tragedy of the purity of human feelings.

Stone Siclier

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