L’ODGE D’OOR (all things with eyes must sleep) – A Review by Jenn Rohm
“Surrealist cinema is characterized by juxtapositions, the rejection of dramatic psychology, and a frequent use of shocking imagery.” Wikipedia (Best summation found.) One of the goals of this type of film is to make the viewer experience specific emotions such as happiness, outrage, sadness, etc. They may also be inspired by the works of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud and their interpretations of dreams. It can be an interesting break from the common storytelling style with an opening, a middle, and an end.
The synopsis for Preston Miller’s L’Odge d’Oor (all things with eyes must sleep) is:
“A necklace of vignettes commenting on religion, society, humanity and sex, stretching from the Garden of Eden to the present, L’ODGE D’OOR invites a comically mindbending banquet of searching for the meaning of our existence through the subconscious. A ‘traditionally Surrealistic,’ modern juxtaposition of the absurd, the insignificant, the existential and the profound, an un-official sequel to Luis Buñuel’s The Phantom of Liberty.”
Be warned this is a film for a mature audience. The opening of this film is in the Garden of Eden before Eve. (Do you remember what she did after eating the apple? Jumping behind a bush, ring a bell… This is well before that.) Personally, I would not recommend this as a recently started dating choice or watching with casual friends.
This film took me on a journey. Some moments created strong emotions, others had me going what am I watching or what did they take to write that? Surprisingly there was a bit of a flow from one vignette to the next, maybe not always a smooth transition but surrealism isn’t about being smooth.
With a cast that I am not that familiar with I was really pleased with the work they did. They are the reason I wanted to see what’s next, especially with thoughts of “what did I just watch” popping up. (Well done, Wayne Chang.)
Arsenio Assin and Sheldon Smith provided scenes where some had a dreamlike quality, some were hyper-realistic, and others just fit with the moment. All of which helped keep me on my toes. Of course, the editing by Krishna Kokopelli Anderson and Jodi Lin was just the right touch.
This is not the type of film that you walk away from going “I really enjoyed that.” or “My heart is really pumping from the adrenaline rush.” I am glad I watched it and it has had me thinking about some of the topics it brings up. I end with this, the last vignette is one of the most beautiful portrayals of a relationship that I have ever seen. There are versions of that conversation I have been a part of, and it is nice to know others wonder the same thing.
Director: Preston Miller
Written By: Preston Miller
Cast: Jean-Claude Carriere, Kristoffer Infante, Shannon Sullivan
MPAA Rating: not rated – does have full nudity male and female, adult content, adult subject matter.
Streaming: Amazon
Genres: Comedy
Selig Rating: 3 stars
Runtime: 1h 35m
Release Date: February 2022
Trailer: L’Odge d’Oor official trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
