Cargo 200

I saw Cargo 200 tonight. My first full film (I had to leave the very first one, Shyam Benegal’s Trikal, for a call), and the second was a tribute to Daniel Day Lewis. As Mr. Lewis was being interviewed by someone who’s favorite film ever was The Unbearable Lightness of Being. He said he was miserable the whole time. She said, shocked, “but it doesn’t seem like it in the film.” To which he replied, “well, that is my job isn’t it?”

Cargo 200 is amazing. Intense doesn’t even begin to describe it. A young girl takes an ill-fated ride with a bad boy, and things go down hill from there… Really, really badly downhill. But not knowing how enhances the suspense. It is best not to know. You might wish you didn’t once you do.

The film was introduced with the caveat that it was called fascist and it was rejected from several festivals, including Cannes with the statement that it would never show in France. We’ll have to dig into that label a bit, it’s hard to see how it applies. It is certainly tortuous and violent, but hardly more so than Baise Moi and certainly not endorsing the action presented in the movie.

We also saw a short called “The Pearce Sisters” by Aardman animation. It was apropos to Cargo 200, but a lot funnier. More along the lines of Angry Kid than Wallace and Gromit. Not a Saturday morning sort of animation… But very funny in a black way.

2007 Telluride Film Festival