Title: Titane
Year: 2021
Director: Julia Ducornau
Country: France
Language: French
For me, the most anticipated movie of the Toronto Film Festival was Titane. Directed by Jullia Ducornau, the film somehow won the Palm D'or (prematurely announced by Spike Lee at the beginning of the festival) at Cannes in France. My spouse, cousin and I watched this absurd picture in awe. When it finished we wondered if we all simultaneously hallucinated the bizarre events that unfolded.
How do I talk about Titane without spoiling it? A father (Vincent London) reunites with his son that has been missing for years. A woman (Garance Millier) is pregnant with a sports cars' baby?
Titane is quite a trip. It's cerebral, violent, barbaric, sexual, and layered with complex themes and imagery. It's a film that questions heteronormativity and is also...feminist and sweet? Ducournau plays to the desires of straight men, only to turn everything on its head & show the true horror of toxic masculinity. You want a striptease? You'll get the most gay striptease in cinematic history.
Throughout its runtime Titane dissects & strips away outdated ideas of masculinity and femininity, until only the non-binary is left. Even the seemingly uber masculine firefighters, who brag about their sexual conquests, have their moment of confusion over identity and sexuality. It's rare to see such a non-binary, openly trans coded film that doesn't go out of its way to please its viewers.
Titane is an ambitious film that will leave viewers with a variety of emotions. I initially felt shocked by the film, but it left a great impression in my mind. A good film will have you thinking about its themes long after the picture ends. I haven't stopped thinking about it.
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