There's no stopping him now. Quentin Dupieux releases two new films every year, and the theatrical triumph of Yannick (the biggest box-office success of the director's career) hasn't made him want to take a break. On February 7, 2024, the director specializing in absurdist narratives unveiled Daaaaaalí! his latest folly, which can be (re)discovered on DVD and VOD, and on June 18, 2024. In the meantime, the director will be busy with his next film, Le Deuxième Acte, which will open the Cannes Film Festival 2024.
The pitch can be summed up in a single sentence: A French journalist meets Salvador Dali on several occasions for a documentary project. And since Dupieux never does things by halves, he decided to cast six different actors (hence the six "a "s in the title) to play the artist, including Gilles Lellouche, Jonathan Cohen, Edouard Baer and Pio Marmaï. The cast also includes Anaïs Demoustier as the journalist, Agnès Hurstel and Romain Duris.
Our verdict
Quentin Dupieux's last few feature-length films, such as Incroyable mais Vrai and Yannick, were aimed at a more mainstream style of humor. With Daaaaaalí! the filmmaker returns to his first love, the disjointed narrative that twists the linearity of the script while retaining an absurdist sense of humor and a strong attraction to big casts. In fact, the film bears a strong resemblance to Réalité, considered by many to be Dupieux's masterpiece.
Despite its 1h15 or so running time, the film is, as is often the case with Dupieux, richly layered. The six Dalí's we see on screen are embodied with constant overacting by its performers, making it hilarious. Whether it's accent, phrasing or ego, the six actors have fun ape-ing the painter, and each delivers a unique performance. Daaaaaalí! is undoubtedly the first Dupieux film to base all its humor on the performance of its actors, and despite its similarities with Réalité, the feature marks a radical reinvention of the Dupieux style.
But the film is much more than just a comedy, it's above all a powerful statement about creation and its reception. It's one of the most singular films of Dupieux's career, and if you're familiar with them, you know that means he's gone even further into the absurd.
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