Eye For Film >> Movies >> Atomised (2006) DVD Review
There are a lot of complex themes about love and sex in both the film and book and the Making Of goes some way to developing and explaining them, sharing director Oskar Roehler and producer Bernd Eichinger's vision of the story. It's an interesting 24-minute documentary, focusing mostly on the novel and its author, the enfant terrible of French contemporary literature, Michel Houellebecq.
There is a lot of input from Roehler, who is clearly a massive fan of the book and was determined to create a faithful portrait of it. The cast also reveal how they approached their roles, with Ulmen amusingly revealing how he played the emotionless Michael like the Terminator. He is always looking at people and relationships scientifically rather than experiencing feelings.
Sadly, the individual interviews with the cast and crew are disappointing as they mostly repeat the documentary. They are brief at around five minutes each but the new insights are informative.
The chats show the Atomised cast are not brainless actors more interested in celebrity than art but true artistes, dedicating to faithful, emotive performances. The extras help you understand the movie and its intended message better - and give you a greater affection for the story and all those involved. It truly was a labour of love.
Reviewed on: 05 Nov 2006