Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
A woman suffers from an unusual illness caused by a flower growing in her lungs.
Michel Gondry's Mood Indigo is a visually extraordinary feast of handcrafted surrealism and whimsical invention, adapting Boris Vian's cult novel with a singularly tactile, analog aesthetic that is utterly unlike anything else in cinema. The cinematography and production design are genuinely exceptional — every frame bursts with inventive practical effects, miniatures, and fantastical imagery. The novelty is undeniable: the film's conception and visual voice are one-of-a-kind. However, the plot loses momentum badly in its second half as it shifts from joyful whimsy to oppressive melancholy, and while the leads (Duris, Tautou) are charming, the emotional depth of the performances is somewhat constrained by the film's stylized conceits. The ending, though tonally consistent, is punishingly bleak and may feel unearned for many viewers given the tonal whiplash from the film's opening act.