See the screen version of Michel Houellebecq’s famous novel
A cult novel by one of the most popular modern French writers, Michel Houellebecq, has finally found its way to the big screen due to the efforts of the German director Oskar Roehler. Having premiered over a year ago at the Berlin International Film Festival “Elementarteilchen” will be available to Ukrainian film goers starting this Thursday.
“Les Particules Elementaires,” translated into English as both “Elementary Particles” and “Atomised,” is a craftily written tale of a lost generation. It brought Houellebecq world recognition, and apparently Roehler hoped for a boost to his own popularity when he opted to turn the bestselling book into a movie. The director has mainly been known in his homeland for films like “Gierig” (“Greedy”) and “Agnes und Seine Brueder” (“Agnes and Her Brother”), while with the release of “Elementarteilchen” he is destined to gain much bigger renown throughout Europe. Knowing that his work is to be closely scrutinized by the fans of Houellebecq – as they would any director who dares mess with their favorite book – Roehler secured himself by supplying “Elementarteilchen” with a star-studded cast that includes Moritz Bleibtreau and Franka Potente, appearing together for the first time since the hit “Lola Rennt” (“Run Lola Run”). The latter brought worldwide recognition to Potente, while in “Elementary Particles” Bleibtreau is the real star, playing Bruno, one of the film’s two main characters. His performance has already brought him a Silver Berlin Bear, while Roehler gained a nomination for the Golden Berlin Bear.
The story focuses on the lives of two half brothers, Bruno and Michael, whose hippie mother spent her life traveling the world pursuing sexual pleasures and leaving the two boys to be brought up by grandmothers and at boarding schools. As a result, Michael becomes an introverted geneticist, whose goal is to create a race of androids and eliminate the need for sexual reproduction. He also has trouble finding a common language with women and remains faithful to his first childhood love (played by Franka Potente). Bruno on the other hand, is involved in a loveless marriage and is a schoolteacher. However, his life obsession is going to various sexual extremes, much like his mother, which eventually leads him to a mental hospital.
While Houellebecq’s novel presented a sharp and harsh social satire, showing the downfall of modern men, demoralized, totally material and unable to find satisfaction in anything, the film version is a tasteful and sentimental story with a few ideas on the side. Similar to the novel, the story in the film is being recounted in the form of flashbacks, and their sequence is not always clear, nor is the time period in which the events are taking place. Events often appear so absurd and exaggerated that it’s hardly possible to take them seriously. However, you have no one but Houellebecq himself to blame for that.
As a truly sophisticated French writer, Houellebecq showed no interest in the screen version of his book. He didn’t attend the grand premiere in Berlin even though he was expected to, and refused to discuss the concept of the movie with Roehler.
“Elementarteilchen” has already received many controversial critiques – which goes without saying, but anyways, instead of trying to decide which one is the most on target, it’s best to see the movie and judge it for yourself.
Zhovten(26 Konstyantynivska, 205-5951). From Aug. 9.
