A high-end art thief, Nemo, finds himself trapped in a luxurious, high-tech penthouse in New York’s Times Square after his heist doesn’t go as planned.
The synopsis ofInside immediately intrigues us, but the enthusiasm only wanes during the 105 minutes of this more incoherent than engaging camera. Much more conventional than what its broad lines suggest, the feature film directed by Vasilis Katsoupis and scripted by Ben Hopkins unfortunately falls flat.
It’s a one man show total for William Dafoe (The Lighthouse), who slips into the skin of Nemo, an art thief who will become stuck in a luxury condo following an attempted burglary. His performance somehow breathes a soul into the character, which otherwise would not have been able to interest us. But William Dafoe alone cannot save the film. The skilful close-ups of his captivating tense face do not compensate for the Gruyère scenario and the absence of narrative progression. The technical execution may be impeccable – soundtrack perfectly integrated into the story, consequent and licked photo direction – but the cinematographic object leaves us cold.
Throughout the film, Nemo struggles with a “smart” house, compulsively draws on the walls and defecates on the floor. The concept quickly becomes restrictive, exhausting itself until it exhausts the spectator as much as the character. Too bad these long scenes do not arouse emotions or observations.
Inside seems to invite you to ask yourself big philosophical questions without ever delivering food for thought. The film is just too ineffective at communicating its ideas. Focused on the bleak suffering of Nemo, it misses a whole range of themes that the context would have allowed to judiciously explore. The premise hints at an existential drama about ultra-wealth, art, and freedom, but it all ultimately floats mindlessly to the surface.
Indoors
Thriller
Inside
Vasilis Katsoupis
1:45