Goodbye to Language

Expecting to be able to make linguistic sense of a film called "Goodbye to Language" is hilarous in its own right, like the film is in many, subtle ways. But it's also tragic, and romantic, and violent. It is cynical, comedic and, in all respects, a transposition of Beckett to film.

Seeing a high-caliber director take a lo-fi, almost homemade approach to a movie is always interesting. Playing around, making your own 3D cameras, trying different effects in editing, all kinds of things you usually only see young kids doing who are just getting interested in what you can do with a camera. Sometimes this approach can really make everything come together. Sometimes it doesn’t. This time, it didn’t, and it comes off as self-indulgent and pretentious, to use two overused words. The movie isn’t incomprehensible, just vague. This is almost like a personal movie, in that it seems like it was made without an audience in mind, an exercise. It has every French New Wave cliche in the book (jump cuts, wandering dialogue, cinema-verite cinematography), and plays like a film student’s attempt to utilize the techniques he noticed in Breathless with only a surface-level understanding of them. Nothing here is new, and everything has been done better elsewhere. I see a lot of critics referring to the “tactile” effect of the 3D cinematography. This is not a result of the director’s talent. The point of 3D is to make a film feel tactile. Good 3D makes you want to reach out and touch what’s on the screen. The achievement is not so much a n artistic but a technical one. Also, this “tactile” effect is totally lost in the 2D version, eliminating one of the key draws to a large portion of the audience. In short, this is a trifle in Godard’s filmography, and not one that is worth the price of admission.

If you aren't familiar with Godard then this will probably not be your cup of tea, but if you're someone who's seen most of his films this is absolutely can't miss. One of his greatest ever! Hard to believe he's not with us anymore.

Perhaps the very best of Godard's video work of the last 20 years, this is as good as anything in his cannon.

Incomprehensible. I declare the Emperor naked. Gets a star for the dog.

this is the worst goddamn movie and anyone who likes it is full of shit

Poetic artist crazy genius. I have no idea what it is and i fuckin love it that way

Todos aquellos que extrañen la experimentación formal en el cine (visual, sonora y semiológica) se deleitarán con "Adiós al lenguaje", una película acerca de un perro (el perro de Godard), una pareja desnuda y una serie de citas, comentarios y reflexiones sobre el colonialismo, la comunicación y la vida presente. El público no habituado al cine experimental (la mayoría, tristemente) y que nunca acuden al cine para retar su inteligencia, para desprenderse de lo narrativo y lo representativo, que buscan en las películas respuestas y no preguntas y que tienen un hambre insaciable de mero entretenimiento descerebrado, se desesperarán y correrán despavoridos buscando la salida. Quedan advertidos. P.d. ¿Les mencioné que es una película en 3D? ¡Ese Godard y su humor negro!

Todos aquellos que extrañen la experimentación formal en el cine (visual, sonora y semiológica) se deleitarán con "Adiós al lenguaje", una película acerca de un perro (el perro de Godard), una pareja desnuda y una serie de citas, comentarios y reflexiones sobre el colonialismo, la comunicación y la vida presente. El público no habituado al cine experimental (la mayoría, tristemente) y que nunca acuden al cine para retar su inteligencia, para desprenderse de lo narrativo y lo representativo, que buscan en las películas respuestas y no preguntas y que tienen un hambre insaciable de mero entretenimiento descerebrado, se desesperarán y correrán despavoridos buscando la salida. Quedan advertidos. P.d. ¿Les mencioné que es una película en 3D? ¡Ese Godard y su humor negro!

Película no apta para todo el público. Pueden llegarse a aburrir.