Besson's visionary film is a beautiful train wreck of wondrous
visuals, heartfelt homages, and satire so off the mark, it has dragged the
picture into the center of social media debate with respect to its approach to
gender. The various elements that converged to allow Besson's long
gestating passion project to exist also contributed to its abysmal box office
returns and utterly divisive response among fans and critics across America.
Intergalactic agents Laureline and Valerian are embroiled in a
conspiracy that threatens the sanctity of Alpha, a space station Switzerland
where thousands of alien species congregate and share knowledge. As the
agents get deeper into the mystery, they are confronted by ghosts from the past
that threaten to not only undo the universe's long kept peace, but their
budding romance as well. The simple, rehashed plot is cribbed straight
from a direct to dvd shelf of science fiction orphans, and the first symptom of
Valerian's incurable malaise.
Besson was inspired by James Cameron's Avatar
which gave him the courage to attempt something so technically unrestrained.
Unfortunately, both films are pure visual marvels that lack a soul.
Besson's grasp of the source material is evident in the film's beautiful
opening act: A Bowie montage of human/alien interactions that hint at a greater
message of peace and tolerance, a message that may have resonated more with US
audiences had Besson chosen to explore it. Instead, the following two plus
hours is a conventional science fiction action story that eschews any sense of
depth to carry the narrative across confusing pools of satire in order to reach
the next potent visual exposition.
The digital effects are some of the best uses of CGI in recent
memory. In particular, the first major sequence of the film, involving a
trans-dimesnional tourist trap is filled with spectacle, containing unique alien
and human cultures that pervade Besson's playful catalogue. The effects
serve the story, enhancing a wild foot chase that has to be seen to be believed.
The conclusion of such is where the initial problems begin, where one of
the film's precious few female characters appears more concerned about her soiled
attire than her dead comrades. This is where the audience's reactions
will diverge.
One direction involves a fair assessment that the film treats
its women....coldly at best. Super model Cara Delevingne's Laureline is
smart, competent, and lethal, bailing out her male counterpart throughout,
however this is overshadowed by the way the world views her. This is the
second divergence. Satire. French native Besson has, for the most
part, approached his subject matter with tongue firmly planted in cheek and
both Delevingne and Dane DeHaan (Valerian) have commented on the nature of
their characters’ relationship. Conceptually the idea was that Laureline
was the smarts behind the bumbling Valerian and both actors seem perfectly fine
with the final product. The issue however, is in how it translates in the
cinema. Their chemistry is unique, because the dialogue forces them
overcome it, relying on physicality and nuance to make their love believable.
This doesn't always work, but when it does, it makes the humor more
appreciable.
 |
| Gettin weird in Valerian. |
The fatal flaw however, is that the satire is just not there
unless you are specifically looking for it and thus, many viewers may be turned
off. At one point Besson attempts to endearingly introduce a shape-shifting sex worker, but hastily sidesteps the emotional complications in
favor of effects wizardry, echoing the unevenness that runs throughout. Alexandre Desplat’s resilient score is the
equalizer, deftly balancing Besson’s off kilter humor with a sense of grandeur
that encapsulates Valerian’s lofty
goals.
Thierry Arbogast's cinematography captures the digital voodoo
and human participants with vivid shots of alien locales and looming
spaceships. The action is adequate, but not inventive, and yet somehow
manages to keep the viewer enthralled thanks to Arbogast's quicksilver control
and this is the saving grace. Valerian
is a universe full of ideas and possibilities and it would have been easy
to focus on the insanity of the scope, rather than Besson's central story of
predictable intrigue, and it works by saturating the basic plot with unreal
components of extraterrestrial customs and inter-dimensional destinies.
However, as the overlong runtime grinds towards its inevitable
conclusion, the visceral jackhammer of the first act is slowly forgotten and
the usual fun of a Besson film is weighed down by the repetitive flash. Valerian is a movie that desperately
wants to be something, and yet, can never settle upon what that thing is, let
alone take enough time to have fun with itself.
In theaters now, Valerian
and the City of a Thousand Planets is being hailed as the biggest independent
box office bomb in history. Currently, it has earned 54 million against
its 177 plus million dollar budget. There are many who feel the decision
to release against Nolan's Dunkirk is
to blame, but adding both pictures’ debut numbers together is nowhere close
enough to topple a stone cold blockbuster’s debut. The truth is most
likely somewhere in between. Divisive critical reactions, hit or miss
humor, and basic storytelling all contribute to the underwhelming feeling that Valerian leaves in its wake.
Regardless, the visuals are indeed worth the price of admission. In
an era of reboots and sequels, there are artists out there trying different
things with the medium. While the bulk of these are indeed disasters, some
of these efforts yield classic entries that not only change the game forever,
but also become lauded cult gems in the years to follow. Valerian is most likely somewhere in
between.
- Kyle Jonathan
- Kyle Jonathan
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