A Zed & Two Noughts

Rating:
Summary: A different kind of surreal..
Review: With "A Zed and Two Noughts", Greenaway has cultivated a very surreal film. I won't go into examples (many are to be found in other reviews), but suffice to say that the situations are highly unlike those you will encounter in any other film, however the sheer bizarre nature of most of the images don't strike the viewer as such at first glance because the way the movie is presented is so alien to the idea of a surreal film. Let me explain that a bit.
Make no mistake- this is a very dark, fairly graphic, and strange film. The thing is, it's presented with such elegant grandeur that the weird factor of the scenes is often somewhat muted by the feeling of watching a sophisticated living painting. I've only seen one other of Greenaway's films (The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, & Her Lover), but I've noticed this quality in that movie as well. It's not that Greenaway shies away from the money shot... quite the contrary. But the outlandish usually has a very striking effect the first time in most films, and these scenes are almost overwhelmed by a lush, full set. In most other surreal or fringe movies, things are presented in a more realistic(?) or tangible way, where here they are happening in a world that seems like a dream.
The dream-like quality also comes from the score, which repeats often and plays over much of the film. The music has a certain refined urgency, a drive that makes every scene where it appears seem like a climax of some sort.
Overall, this is a film that takes some getting used to.. even if you love it the first time you see it. Some may be thrown off by the arty self-importance that this movie is doused with, but the effect just isn't the same without it. Pretensiousness is a very good thing when it's necessary for the feel and atmosphere of the total product. Highly recommended to those who enjoy surreal films that follow no rules... even the unwritten rules of surreal films. ;)