Code inconnu: Récit incomplete de divers voyages, roughly translated as an incomplete collection of loosely connected vignettes, is exactly what it says. There are quite a few of these interconnected vignette movies I enjoy; Burn After Reading, Magnolia, Pulp Fiction, Crash, and Traffic just to name a few.
Code Unknown is an uncompromising and piercing look at the day-to-day lives of several people in Paris by Michael Haneke. As you can expect with any Michael Haneke movie, this movie is edgy, and it was a little disturbing for reasons I can't explain. He has this unique way of pulling the viewer into the scene so it feels raw and personal. Just amazing scene work from start to finish, which was critical since the movie essentially has no unified plot. It's incomplete, and perfect. Perfectly incomplete.
Juliette Binoche was her usual amazing self, and her performance REALLY added those unsettling tones to the movie. She's just sizzling in this one, and I would have voted her best actress. That scene in the grocery store was just on fire. She can make your heart pound, then rip it right out all in the same scene. I think I'm in love. The rest of the cast was fantastic as well. Great performances all around.
Michael Haneke was kind of an acquired taste for me, and I'm very happy I didn't watch this one first. Funny Games, The Piano Teacher, and Cache gave me a feel for his style I didn't appreciate at first. If I had watched this one first, I wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much.
If you've enjoyed some of Haneke's other movies, this one is practically required viewing. You'll probably also like it if you enjoyed some of the movies I mentioned above. It's worth watching for Juliette Binoche's scenes alone, especially if you're a fan of her other work.
I'm giving it 10/10, but I honestly expect your average moviegoer would go 7 or even 6/10 if they have any idea what to expect with a Michael Haneke movie, so YMMV.
Code Unknown is an uncompromising and piercing look at the day-to-day lives of several people in Paris by Michael Haneke. As you can expect with any Michael Haneke movie, this movie is edgy, and it was a little disturbing for reasons I can't explain. He has this unique way of pulling the viewer into the scene so it feels raw and personal. Just amazing scene work from start to finish, which was critical since the movie essentially has no unified plot. It's incomplete, and perfect. Perfectly incomplete.
Juliette Binoche was her usual amazing self, and her performance REALLY added those unsettling tones to the movie. She's just sizzling in this one, and I would have voted her best actress. That scene in the grocery store was just on fire. She can make your heart pound, then rip it right out all in the same scene. I think I'm in love. The rest of the cast was fantastic as well. Great performances all around.
Michael Haneke was kind of an acquired taste for me, and I'm very happy I didn't watch this one first. Funny Games, The Piano Teacher, and Cache gave me a feel for his style I didn't appreciate at first. If I had watched this one first, I wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much.
If you've enjoyed some of Haneke's other movies, this one is practically required viewing. You'll probably also like it if you enjoyed some of the movies I mentioned above. It's worth watching for Juliette Binoche's scenes alone, especially if you're a fan of her other work.
I'm giving it 10/10, but I honestly expect your average moviegoer would go 7 or even 6/10 if they have any idea what to expect with a Michael Haneke movie, so YMMV.