Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: FULL PHIL [Cannes Film Festival - Cannes, France]
The context of a Quentin Dupieux film rests in the context of the artificial versus the context of the real. The idea here in "Full Phil" [Out Of Competition/Midnight] reflects in two different worlds but both of which where consumption is a real character. The goofy horror element is interestingly represented in a creature feature context of Tim and Eric (yes the late night AS mavericks) who play their parts with a detached wooden glee that is both jarring and of course artificial. The main course in an interesting confluence of events is an uptight father (Woody Harrelson) and his 32-year-old daughter (Kristen Stewart) who just can’t stop eating. At first it seems just a subtle quirk but becomes more surrealistic and abstract as time goes on. He simply wants to reconnect but there is a disconnect with what he is looking for. It first starts off as an unlikely vacation/Ordinary People scenario. However there is also a protest going on outside the hotel in Paris. We only hear it fleetingly mostly offscreen. One of the first really neat shots is a close up as Harrelson goes outside the hotel where bedlam and rioting is going on. He simply smirks back and forth indicating something not right with him anyway.
Back in the suite his daughter keeps ordering more and more food. There is an also a hotel employee (Emma Mackey in a nice subtle and not so subtle role). The film continues to want to play with an expectation, even with the actors playing these characters which leads towards the end. There are obvious references ti Dante and to Goethe which involves the consumption of one another, even to the final shot. Stewart plays almost slow, way against type but she obviously wanted to engage with someone like Harrelson. Harrelson has the harder part because he has to play egotistical and neglected at the same time. Little bits like an all-you-can-eat restaurant (and an elegant one at that) where you never go hungry is part of the thought process. But the lack of empathy or at least acceptance is interesting throughout. Stewart’s character finally has to come to bear and her moment of realization, however strained, actually is quite moving despite the character's reluctance but the great acting shows through. Dupieux films are always tonal oddities because of what they examine and the humor moves back and forth (as always). This one however is more accessible than most for sure but it is a also darker in context because it is about something bigger that is not quite attainable. B+
by Tim Wassberg
