One of the film's great strengths is Martel's compressed visual power. Her ability to capture the disorientation of seeing the world from the seclusion of a car's interior is strangely compelling...
The Headless Woman (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:22
Fresh:13
Rotten:9
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Careful and slight, Lucretia Martel's Headless Woman doesn't fit neatly into a clear storyline, but supports itself with ethereal visuals.
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Synopsis: After only three features, Lucrecia Martel has firmly established herself as one of world cinema's most distinctive visionaries. Following up on her subliminally atmospheric LA CIENAGA and THE HOLY... After only three features, Lucrecia Martel has firmly established herself as one of world cinema's most distinctive visionaries. Following up on her subliminally atmospheric LA CIENAGA and THE HOLY GIRL, Martel goes even deeper into cinematic obliqueness with THE HEADLESS WOMAN. The story concerns Veronica (Maria Onetto), who accidentally hits something while driving one day. To the viewer, it appears to be a dog, but Veronica is unable to shake the fear that she killed a young boy. As the days wear on, she has trouble recalling even the most basic details of her life, to the point where she appears to be suffering from amnesia. Or is she simply trying to deny the truth about what really happened? All signs point to her being in the clear, yet just when she begins to feel okay another mysterious coincidence arises that makes her doubt herself once again. Martel challenges viewers in a way that will cause many to scratch their heads, but this is clearly calculated behavior on her part. By using clever sound design and exquisitely framed images, she creates a palpable tension that makes THE HEADLESS WOMAN feel like a most unlikely thriller. She is also driven by a desire to expose the horrific divides in Argentina's class system, making the film as much a work of social commentary as a fine example of thought-provoking entertainment. THE HEADLESS WOMAN is a film that demands multiple viewings to break through its mysterious surface. [More]
Starring: Guillermo Arengo, Cesar Bordon, Claudia Cantero, Ines Efron
Starring: Guillermo Arengo, Cesar Bordon, Claudia Cantero, Ines Efron, Daniel Genoud, Maria Onetto, Maria Vaner
Director: Lucrecia Martel
Director: Lucrecia Martel
Screenwriter: Lucrecia Martel
Producer: Pedro Almodóvar, Agustin Almodovar, Esther Garcia, Verónica Cura, Enrique Pineyro, Lucrecia Martel, Marianne Slot, Vieri Razzini, Cesare Petrillo, Tilde Corsi
Studio: Strand Releasing
Reviews for The Headless Woman
Martel -- having listed Herk Harvey's ultra-low-budget 1962 horror film Carnival of Souls as a favorite -- has now more or less remade it as an "art film": that is, she's slathered the pretentiousness on so thick that all the fun is gone.
It moves in a disappointing direction away from Martel's previous features La Ciénaga (2001) and The Holy Girl (2004).
Martel's vision is so visually rich and complex it borders on the impressionistic, but The Headless Woman would be nowhere without the precise tour de force performance by Onetto.
A parabolic Argentine film about a woman who proves that the rich can get away with murder.
Martel rips Antonioniennui off its foundations by refusing to throw the audience a bone of indentification via the disorienting effects of lust/love.
This subtle and compact short story affirms that the hovering hands and exquisitely layered sound design of her previous film weren't accidents but the unusually precise creations of an exciting new filmmaker.
Martel is a very minor art-filmmaker. Not especially insightful, she exemplifies the second-rate aesthetics of underdeveloped cultures. Her over-subtle approach hides the superficiality of her dull, dull style.
The Headless Woman settles into the episodic without the necessary character development - it's a slice of life too slight for its own good.
A full appreciation of Lucrecia Martel’s elegant, rain-soaked film, The Headless Woman, requires the concentration and eye for detail of a forensic detective.
An initially intriguing, well-shot psychological drama with diminishing suspense. It eventually starts to drag, leaving you feeling concurrently frustrated and underwhelmed.
The movie isn't interested in moral judgments or lessons, just unflinching observation. Groove on the eerie vibe, then draw your own conclusions.
An astounding portrait of a person entirely out of sync with her own existence.
I have seen the film three times now and each time I find myself concentrating more closely
Effective as social critique and character study, Martel's third film is her most original and challenging to date, a work in which form, style, and tone are congruent in depicting social and moral disorientation.
"The Headless Woman" might have gained unworthy praise at film festivals, but it isn't worthy of market approval.
As dense and fluid as Martel's movie is, the viewer -- like the protagonist -- is compelled to live in the moment. And a rich moment it is.
Latest News for The Headless Woman
October 07, 2009:
New: Brand New Trailer and Poster. ![]()
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August 16, 2009:
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