The Congress

The Congress

Ari Folman's The Congress, his followup to Waltz with Bashir, sunk from view immediately
upon release. Which is too bad not only for the fine efforts of Mr. Folman, but also Robin Wright who stars as a version of herself but also produced. The film is an uneasy mixture of live action and animation, but its focus was perhaps too sophisticated for the cartoon crowd. Ms. Wright faces the plight of many middle-aged actresses whose prospects diminish as they age. A studio promises immortality and endless royalties if she licenses her scanned image. The studio head is played with
oleaginous glee by Danny Huston. Paul Giamatti and Harvey Keitel provide able support.

The live sequences actually have more bite to them than the somewhat meandering animated ones. The animation resemble Warner Brothers cartoons from the 40s redone by an acid head. The feel of the animation is second hand and the conflicts between the virtual and the real specious. Still, The Congress has been unjustly neglected.