Portman’s Vox adrift in a sea of songs
Vox Lux (R13, 113 mins) Directed by Brady Corbet Reviewed by James Croot ★★1⁄2
Celeste’s career was born out of tragic circumstances. The survivor of a horrific shooting spree at her Staten Island school, the then 13-year-old (Raffey Cassidy) captured the world’s imagination with a song she’d written especially for the memorial service.
The tune became an anthem for the nation and opportunities arose. But while the lyrics, addictive hooks and melodies of Alive and Hologram sent her stratospheric, the battle for her soul began.
Her producer (Jude Law) and PR (Jennifer Ehle) didn’t always see eye-to-eye (‘‘That woman couldn’t sell a life jacket to Natalie Wood,’’ he complains), and Celeste’s (Natalie Portman) relationship with her older sister Eleanor (Stacy Martin) is put to the test during a long production period in Stockholm.
Sixteen years on and Celeste is preparing to release her sixth studio album, Vox Lux. Selfdescribed as a culmination of her life’s work so far, she’s been working on the music and companion ‘‘relentless, addictive experience’’ of a stage show for the past two years. However, an event on the day of the press launch eerily mirrors the one that first catapulted her to stardom – with potentially devastating effects.
With its haunting electronica soundtrack, occasional Willem Dafoe narration and striking visuals, Brady Corbet’s (best known for roles in Mysterious Skin and Funny Games) musical drama reminds one of Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon, or the works of Lars von Trier and/or Gus Van Sant.
There are also similarities to A Star is Born in its narrative (especially the focus around dealing with the pressures of fame) and Bohemian Rhapsody in its structure (the final act revolves around a concert). But where those two big-budget tales placed a big emphasis on emotion and dramatic moments, this very much down plays events, preferring to focus on the parallels between the two time periods on display.
The result is a surprisingly inert experience, despite a compelling performance from Portman (Annihilation, Jackie).
After the shocking opening moments and an initially intriguing coming-of-age story, Vox Lux just seems to drift towards a vaguely unsatisfying ending.