Immortel (ad vitam) (2004)

Director:

Enki Bilal

Writers:

Enki Bilal (comic books "La Foire aux immortels" and "La Femme piège")
Enki Bilal (scenario & adaptation and dialogue)

Release Date:

24 March 2004 (Belgium)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

New York 2095. In a strange pyramid floating in the sky, the gods of ancient Egypt are judging Horus. In the city, a young women with blue hair and tears is arrested, but she has a secret power, even to herself...

Plot Keywords:

Mutant | Blue Hair | Pyramid | Election Campaign | Corrupt Politician

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Linda Hardy	...	Jill Bioskop
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Alcide Nikopol
Charlotte Rampling	...	Elma Turner
Yann Collette	...	Froebe
Frédéric Pierrot	...	John
Thomas M. Pollard	...	Horus
Joe Sheridan	...	Allgood
Corinne Jaber	...	Lily Liang
Olivier Achard	...	Checker
Jerry Di Giacomo	...	Jack Turner
Dominique Mahut	...	Hotel Receptionist
Gary Cowan	...	Tycho Barman
Augustin Legrand	...	Pusher / Salesman
Javon Constantin	...	Eugenics Little Boy
Owen Steketee	...	Horus's Baby

Also Known As:

Immortal (Ad Vitam) (International: English title) (Italy)
Immortal (USA) (video title)
Immortel (France) (short title)
La femme piège (France) (working title)
Trilogy (France) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality/nudity, language and some violence.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

France | Italy | UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | UK:15 | France:U | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:M18 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R

Company:

Téléma

Trivia:

Was one of several films around the world that were the first to use an entirely "digital backlot" (i.e. the actors were all shot in front of blue- and green-screens with all the backgrounds added in post-production, a technique which has been used for TV, video and video game production for many years). Fans debate on which movie was shot first, but the other movies include: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), Casshern (2004), and Sin City (2005).

Quotes:

Jill Bioskop: I am a professional guinea pig!

Movie Connections:

References The Fifth Element (1997)

Soundtrack:

Atomic Reaction

More structured than the comics...

Enki Bilal's film version of his excellent comic from more than 20 years ago, is a more coherrent and better structured story than what we read in the graphic novels.

The same images are here, in the film, as in the comic. That's very good, and works well. Some scenes are almost taken directly from the comic, as when Horus help Nikopol for the first time in the subway.

The world is more detailed in the film and the story is now more tightly spun around Jill, Horus and Jill's friend John - plus of course Nikopol who serve as the spider in this web.

Many here complain over the computer animations. Especially when it comes to some of the cast. I can only say that it is was a sad decision to create the senator and his two friends as computer animations, since live actors would probably been a wiser decision. It had helped the movie flow a little bit more, and we hadn't been so hung up on that they actually were computer animated. However, after a while, it works and we don't care too much about it. They have so little screen time anyway.

Horus is also animated, but since he's a God, it doesn't matter. And he's better done too. All the other animations are just splendid and work wonders for this graphical and visually stunning film.

Immortel is a very nice film with a better story than I thought. I was expecting a difficult and completely un-logical version of the comic - since I've read the reviews - but what we have here is actually a nice and very good movie, told beautifully.

If you haven't read the graphic novels, I suggest you find a copy or two and read them. They are a good introduction to this weird sci-fi world, and it is probably easier to understand the overall theme if you have read them. However, don't get disappointed when some story elements don't show up in the film. (I especially missed the hockey-game!)

I sincerely hope that Enki Bilal makes more movies like this one, or even a sequel. I would really like to know what happens next... Enki Bilal's mind is beautiful - and this film will be a classic within a few decades. For now, it's just a little bit too before its time to be taken the way it should. But soon, people will discover it and see the nice little details that lay inside the world of future New York.

I give it a 7 of 10. I would have given it higher if it wasn't for some bad animations and that I didn't like the way they plotted the sharp-teethed alien that I never remember the name of. :-)