Why you can trust 12DOVE
Yes, we reviewed this Gallic rave film last issue, but Artificial Eye decided to hold its release back ’til February. So, once more unto the club: Yolande Zauberman directs a vivid portrait of the suburban Paris “disco” scene, as seen through the eyes of 20-year-old Lola (Elodie Bouchez), bombarding his audience with 90 strobe-lit minutes devoted to sex, coke-snorting and dancing. On the surface, this may sound like a sexy, sit-down rave, but Zauberman’s jittery, hand-held camera style gives the film a glam-free gritty realism that’s tedious, unattractive and predictable. On the plus side, the dialogue is refreshingly natural, and it’s an interesting glimpse into Parisian clubland. But Béatrice Dalle’s utterly dire, vampish performance as a lead dancer only contributes to the nagging feeling that what you’re watching is grade-A pretentious tosh trying desperately to be something meaningful. So unless you’ve got a passion for techno (and can sit through it without twitching too many of your upper-body muscles), Clubbed To Death is best avoided.
The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.
The Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: "I couldn't be happier"
When making Kingdom Hearts, the "one thing" RPG icon Tetsuya Nomura "wasn't willing to budge on" was a non-Disney protagonist
The Witcher fans in shambles after a new book reveals just how old Geralt really is