defining contemporary society. or new form of fairy tale. or, just, a sketch of ways to survive against world pressure and against yourself. a film who could be reduced, in easy way, at the fascinating special effects. a story who could be defined as pretext for the technique solutions. or, it could be perfect gift for the fans of computer games. but, in strange manner, maybe, just the story is the only significant aspect. and the performances. and the slices from the old well known myths. and the possibility to discover it as an interesting parable.

David Cronenberg's typically weird film is a multi-layered story of reality versus a virtual world, mixing the two so thoroughly that you'll no doubt end up being confused before the explanatory ending. Released at around the same time as THE MATRIX and exploring many of the same thoughts and ideas, EXISTENZ is less a crowd-pleaser and more of a low-key thoughtful affair which still manages to be packed with bizarre imagery and grotesque creations from Cronenberg's decidedly warped mind, except this time in a film more appealing to a larger audience than his older grue-fests like THE BROOD.In the end, EXISTENZ fails to become a great movie by being too annoyingly clever for its own good, and is flawed by being too cold in its depiction of characters and situations, a problem Cronenberg has felt throughout his career - he's just too detached (with the exception of DEAD RINGERS, I believe). As realities switch and characters change allegiances, the film does isolate itself from the audience, although the wealth of ideas and imagination keeps it totally interesting throughout. Here, Cronenberg's obsession with "body horror" crops up in weird games consoles which are plugged into sockets at the base of the human spine (once again Cronenberg dwells on the sexual subtleties of the act) and pulsate and cry as organic lifelike creations.There are a couple of very well-realised situations, particularly the restaurant scene where Jude Law's character assembles an organic gun (which shoots human teeth!) from the remains of his meal and uses it to shoot the waiter, or another scene near the end when a diseased console is burnt, releasing thousands of spores into the air. The diseases in the film hark back to earlier Cronenberg creations like RABID; although his films all look and feel a lot different, the same underlying obsessions and principles can be felt in each. The special effects are excellent and frequently disgusting, and there are brief flashes of the graphic gore and carnage which Cronenberg used to use so much.EXISTENZ also benefits from a strong cast of accomplished actors, although some only appear in cameo roles. Jennifer Jason Leigh is the strong-willed and powerful female lead, and her pairing with Jude Law (as the film's "audience" type character, a complete novice who is sucked into the virtual world) is an inspired one, with the two setting it off really well together. Ian Holm appears as a mad inventor, and Willem Dafoe shines in another of his demented turns as a gas station assistant who has ulterior motives. Christopher Eccleson also cameos as a teacher, sporting an American accent along with Law which was a bit disconcerting for me! Although not one of his best movies, EXISTENZ is a good introduction to Cronenberg's work as it covers most of the themes and ideas closest to his heart while providing enough thrills and spills (as well as an almost obligatory twist ending) for the modern audience.

Hee, yet another David Cronenberg picture that divides opinions, not just among the casual film watchers, but also his most ardent fans.Plot is a little nutty in actuality, as it finds Jennifer Jason Leigh as the world's most high profile games designer. While testing her new virtual reality game out with a focus group, an assassination attempt puts her on the run with an ally of sorts, marketing man Ted Pikul (Jude Law). With the prototype of the new game in their possession, the pair must enter the game's realm to unlock the various puzzles and threats that now confounds and stalks them.With Cronenberg back to writing something solely from his own head, eXistenZ finds the Canadian auteur happy to be back making a truer piece of work for his kinked visions. Unfortunately the advent of such virtual reality fare and various realist themes was well in filmic swing come the time eXistenZ was released, rendering it in some eyes as a band wagon jumper. That's unfair, because it's still a unique film, as Cronenberg blends body horror with visual invention to create a mind warp of gaming possibilities, a thrum thrum of futuristic verve. He gets top performances out of Leigh (great hair as well) and Law, while the narrative is constantly tricky enough to demand the viewer pays attention whilst being prepared to, perhaps, be surprised.Not prime Cronenberg, but still smart and funky, twisty and nutty, scary and oblique. So very much a Cronenberg original, then. 8/10

Existenz (1999): Dir: David Cronenberg / Cast: Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ian Holm, Willem Dafoe, Don McKellar: Stylish thriller with intriguing imagery about a video game where its occupants can plug themselves in via bio-port and enter a fantasy world using a game pod. Full of surprise and shock associated with its director David Cronenberg. Very similar to one of his earlier films, Videodrome, which also dealt with reality and fantasy within technology. Detailed storytelling leaving questions in its conclusion. Jennifer Jason Leigh is excellent as the game creator with a price on her life after a public demonstration concludes with a shootout. Jude Law serves as her protector who goes through the painstaking operation of bio-pod in order to play the game. Willem Dafoe plays Gas the mechanic who can perform bio-pod operations yet he also has a sinister side that is costly. Ian Holm operates on Leigh's pod when it is damaged. He factors in and out leaving viewers guessing as to whether he is friend or foe. Don McKellar plays another strange contact within the game who provides information. In the end it really doesn't matter because the destructive nature of the game seems to rule out. While it doesn't always make sense, it does succeed as superb effects driven entertainment. It is a mind-blowing visual thriller about video games and marketing that is worth plugging into. Score: 8 / 10