From Amazon.com
Director David Cronenberg's
eXistenZ is a stew of corporate espionage, virtual reality gaming, and thriller elements, marinated in Cronenberg's favorite Crock-Pot juices of technology, physiology, and sexual metaphor. Jennifer Jason Leigh is game designer Allegra Geller, responsible for the new state-of-the-art eXistenZ game system; along with PR newbie Ted Pikul (Jude Law), they take the beta version of the game for a test drive and are immersed in a dangerous alternate reality. The game isn't quite like PlayStation, though; it's a latexy pod made from the guts of mutant amphibians and plugs via an umbilical cord directly into the user's spinal column (through a BioPort). It powers up through the player's own nervous system and taps into the subconscious; with several players it networks their brains together. Geller and Pikul's adventures in the game reality uncover more espionage and an antigaming, proreality insurrection. The game world makes it increasingly difficult to discern between reality and the game, either through the game's perspective or the human's. More accessible than
Crash,
eXistenZ is a complicated sci-fi opus, often confusing, and with an ending that leaves itself wide open for a sequel. Fans of Cronenberg's work will recognize his recurring themes and will eat this up. Others will find its shallow characterizations and near-incomprehensible plot twists a little tedious.
--Jerry Renshaw
Chronique amazon.fr
Dans un futur proche, Allegra Geller, conceptrice de jeux vidéo qui vous plongent littéralement dans l'action jusqu'à ne plus savoir si l'on est encore dans le jeu ou bien de retour dans la réalité, vient présenter son nouveau logiciel en public,
eXistenZ. Mais alors que le jeu est en cours de chargement, un terroriste tente de l'assassiner. Elle s'enfuit sous la protection de Ted Pikul, garde du corps improvisé, emportant avec elle sa précieuse console. David Cronenberg ne nous a pas habitués aux films faciles d'accès, et celui-ci n'échappe pas à la règle : tout y est imbriqué, tout se croise, et les fausses pistes sont si nombreuses que le doute subsiste bien au-delà de la fin du film. Ambiance glauque et organique à souhait, casting efficace, ce film bénéficie en outre d'un DVD d'excellente qualité.
--David Rault
