Vinyan

Première déception amère pour moi du côté de mon actrice française préférée. Mais comment a-t-elle pu participer à une telle bizarrerie ? Ou alors quelque chose m’échappe… Mais il y a quand même d’autres façons de dépeindre l’enfer de parents qui ont perdu un enfant, non ? (26/07/2010)

What the hell was that? Neither fish nor fowl, wobbly everywhere and a major WTF by the end. The female lead adds a new dimension to the concept of crazy woman, because what the script makes her do in the second half of the film cannot be justified even after losing ten children at once. If Vinyan: Lost Souls wasn’t so well executed and didn’t have several interesting scenes, it wouldn’t get more than two stars out of me, but I’m giving it a disappointed three. Edit: I’m giving it two, it’s a really bad movie. (30/03/2009)

The co-produced horror film Vinyan is about the obsession that can arise from a tragic loss, an obsession that can turn into something truly unpleasant, not only self-destructive but also destructive to one's fellow man. And then there is something from the outside that feeds all the horror. The film wants to be lively and dark, but ultimately it's rather uninspiring, suggestive, and also expected in terms of its progression. (05/03/2018)

I'm being an opportunist by giving Vinyan five stars and I'm bluntly saying that under normal circumstances it would get one less star from me. However, if Du Welz's film does not have primacy at all, then it is certainly at least one of the most underrated feature films that exist in the database. Partly responsible is the horror genre label, which encouraged even those viewers who prefer The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Halloween to watch Vinyan. This film simply missed its target audience, but it is very useful in how beautifully it highlights two problems that affect the ratings in the database. Vinyan has practically the same premise as the disproportionately more famous Antichrist by Lars von Trier. One could even say that if it had been made a year later, Du Welz would have been labeled a plagiarist. In fact, Vinyan came first and both films were created independently of each other, although almost simultaneously. However, Vinyan is much more audience friendly and where Lars uses a series of surrealistic images, Fabrice Du Welz tells a real story with a linear plot and logical structure. Du Welz relies on visual storytelling, so the dialogues are minimalist and only provide additional scenes on the screen. Nevertheless, I dare to argue that the director provides his viewers with the key to all events and there is nothing incomprehensible about it. It is so simple that its literalness may even deter some die-hard intellectuals. Therefore, if there are objections in several comments regarding the absolute incomprehensibility, confusion, and perversity of the film, it is paradoxical that Lars von Trier, who went much further, receives three alibistic stars and neutral comments from the mass audience. So, comparing these two films clearly shows the snobbery and conformity of many who follow the majority's ratings or those who are considered authorities within the community. Secondly, this comparison speaks to the position that well-known directorial names hold, where their new films earn points with their fan clubs, media favor, and snobbery once again. For myself, I can say that Vinyan won me over completely and I quite enjoyed the anabasis of the married couple on their journey toward self-destruction and the gradual disintegration of their psyche, as perverse as it may sound. Overall impression: 75%. (17/05/2014)