Director Peter Strickland's films explore the senses and social commentary with surrealism and humor. In his latest film, "Flux Gourmet," he pushes further into absurdist humor while still exploring the senses. While not as profound as earlier work, Flux Gourmet's humorous examination of creative freedom is intriguing, though probably an acquired taste.
The sonic collective of Elle di Elle, Billy Rubin, and Lamina Propria has been awarded a residency at the Sonic Catering Institute. This group specializes in creating sounds and music from food, which they use to entertain audiences in avant-garde performances that often end with orgies. Unfortunately, the three main characters are caught up in a power struggle and cannot agree on a group name. This struggle gets even more complicated when Jan Stevens, the person in charge of the institute, tries to improve their skills. Caught in the mi Read more...
Director Peter Strickland's films explore the senses and social commentary with surrealism and humor. In his latest film, "Flux Gourmet," he pushes further into absurdist humor while still exploring the senses. While not as profound as earlier work, Flux Gourmet's humorous examination of creative freedom is intriguing, though probably an acquired taste.
The sonic collective of Elle di Elle, Billy Rubin, and Lamina Propria has been awarded a residency at the Sonic Catering Institute. This group specializes in creating sounds and music from food, which they use to entertain audiences in avant-garde performances that often end with orgies. Unfortunately, the three main characters are caught up in a power struggle and cannot agree on a group name. This struggle gets even more complicated when Jan Stevens, the person in charge of the institute, tries to improve their skills. Caught in the middle is Stones, a man hired to document the artists while trying to hide his extreme gastrointestinal ills.
Strickland's worldbuilding is intentionally vague so that he can focus on the character-driven satire. The details behind the Sonic Catering Institute are not precise, except for Jan Stevens' ongoing problem with a former performance group she rejected for residency. The story never moves beyond the mansion setting. Through odd and sometimes uncomfortable interactions, Strickland shows his distorted culinary take on Spinal Tap to explore the relationship between artists and those that finance them.
Flux Gourmet does not veer too far into horror either, save for a few moments that could make you nauseous. Elle di Elle's stubbornness as a self-appointed group leader means she's willing to go to extreme lengths to make daring artistic statements, which can involve using feces as a medium for expression. This pitch-black comedy isn't afraid to show its horror/midnight side when necessary. It's full of orgiastic psychedelia and occasional bursts of violence, among other debased gastronomic stunts.
The cast does a fantastic job at playing their characters to the fullest. Mohamed does an excellent job at capturing the laughs with his straight portrayal of the character, especially when pitted against Christie's Jan. Papadimitriou does an admirable job of playing the lead role with sincerity. Likewise, Strickland deals with the character's intestinal issues with appropriate compassion. Farts might be humorous, but Strickland doesn't use Stones' or his illnesses as jokes. Instead, he approaches it as a standard issue people face in the culinary world.
Whether you enjoy the absurdist humor and eccentric characters depends on whether you connect with Strickland's vision. It's a long, slow journey into the strange art world, but Strickland's unique style makes it a beautiful and auditory experience. There's a certain quality to meat sizzling in skillets or the sensory assaults of artists' performances. Flux Gourmet offers a variety of commentary, leaving viewers with a lot to think about- not all of it so easily understandable. It's a type of strangeness that people either love or hate, but that's true of art in general.
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