MIFF 2023 Film Review - Passages

Images courtesy of Common State.

Passages explores the psychology of a man who cannot see through his need to chase the next best thing when exacting control over your world in the pursuit of pure happiness goes wrong in a succinct and entertaining cautionary tale that hits hard as we scroll endlessly on our phones, chase the dopamine of our particular vices, and complain about our “first world problems”.

Marketed as a ‘love triangle’ film, our protagonist is Tomas (Franz Rogowski), a firm film director attempting to liberate himself. His husband, Martin (Ben Whishaw), is a dull Englishman who works in a print graphics studio. The film opens on Tomas as he directs the last scene of his film, where a man is simply required to walk down the stairs, Tomas chastises the actors for how they walk and how a woman holds her drink; he refuses to record as he constantly interrupts the scene. That night, at the wrap party, he attempts to dance with Martin, who refuses and suggests that he should dance with Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), who he goes home and sleeps with, beginning the cycle of love affairs around which the film revolves.

Tomas’ relationship with his husband, at first, makes it seem as if he is seeking Martin’s validation and receiving the cold shoulder, but as the film moves on, it becomes more noticeable that Tomas is desperately trying to sedate his own happiness.  He does so in a way that is most destructive to his relationships, which leads him to fall deeper into this sense of hopelessness. Each scene in Passages acts less like a drama or a romance and more akin to checking off sequential dot points on a checklist: he works as a director; when his husband refuses to dance, he has sex with a woman; he ends his marriage and moves out.

The subject seems melancholic in nature; however, director Ira Sachs uses powerful visual imagery and subtextually rich dialogue to express the thoughts and feelings of the characters in a nuanced and compelling way, specifically making many connections to films such as Jules et Jim, and using jump cuts reminiscent of French New Wave cinema. Certain characters will be in the foreground when they have control over the scene; they lay when they lose control, and in some scenes, only a character's dialogue can be heard as they attempt to remain relevant. The film culminates in a final scene that (almost) antithesizes Frances Ha’s running through the streets to David Bowie’s ‘Modern Love’, and turns it into a moment where a man runs away from himself, over melancholic trumpets, as the frame’s colours fade to red.

Passages is a pretty film that entertains, may make you tear up, and could make you feel ashamed just by watching Tomas run around as he does. So, if you’re not afraid of on-screen love, a few chuckles, and a thought-provoking storyline, this may be the perfect Friday night popcorn and cocktail movie for you.

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Passages screened as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, running in metro cinemas August 3-20 and online August 18-27.

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