Titane (film)

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Titane
Titane poster.jpeg
Official poster
Directed byJulia Ducournau
Screenplay byJulia Ducournau
Produced byJean-Christophe Reymond
Starring
CinematographyRuben Impens
Edited byJean-Christophe Bouzy
Music byJim Williams
Production
companies
Distributed byDiaphana Distribution
Release date
  • 13 July 2021 (2021-07-13) (Cannes)
  • 14 July 2021 (2021-07-14) (France)
Running time
108 minutes[1]
Countries
  • France
  • Belgium
LanguageFrench
Box office$2.2 million[2]

Titane (English: Titanium) is a 2021 body horror thriller film written and directed by Julia Ducournau. It stars Agathe Rousselle as a mentally disturbed woman who becomes pregnant after having sex with a car. A review from the BBC called it "the most shocking film of 2021."[3]

The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 13 July 2021, where Ducournau became the second female director to win the Palme d'Or, the film's top award.[4]

Plot[]

As a little girl, Alexia is severely injured in a car crash and has a titanium plate fitted into her head. When she gets out of the hospital, she shuns her parents and kisses their car passionately.

Years later, Alexia, now an adult and wearing a giant scar on the back of her head, works as a sexed-up showgirl at a motor show. There, she flirts with Justine, one of her coworkers.

When an enamoured male fan clumsily attempts to seduce her after the show, she brutally murders him with her hairpin. Later on Alexia, still eerily attracted to cars, climaxes by rubbing herself inside a car while alone at the Club’s garage.

It is revealed that Alexia is a serial killer who has murdered several men and women in the past few months. She still lives with her parents, who seem unaware of her connection with the crimes and with whom she has a distant relationship.

Over time, Alexia realizes she has somehow become pregnant. She tries to have an abortion with her hairpin but fails.

She starts having sex with Justine. Later at a house party, she murders her by stabbing her face and proceeds to kill the other guests. However, a woman manages to escape. She returns home and set her own house on fire, purposely killing her parents in the process.

Now wanted for murder, Alexia alters her appearance by shaving her hair, taping down her breasts and breaking her own nose. She then goes to the police pretending to be Adrien, a young boy who disappeared ten years before at age seven. Adrien's father, Vincent, recognizes Alexia as his missing son and refused to do a DNA test.

Vincent, a fire captain, takes Alexia to the station where he lives and works, and introduces her to his men. The firefighters are puzzled by the mute, androgynous and apparently traumatized "Adrien", but they refrain from questioning their captain's behaviour. Alexia becomes an apprentice at the station, under Vincent's supervision. As Vincent gives more responsibility to his "son" instead of the other experienced firefighters, one firefighter confronted Vincent about the questionable identity. However, Vincent immediately shut it down and told him to never speak of his son.

Vincent is a tortured man who tries to preserve his strength by injecting hormones into his muscular, aging body. Alexia is gradually disturbed by his possessiveness and considers escaping from the fire station. However, after Vincent attempts suicide, she chooses to remain with him.

Vincent's long-estranged ex-wife comes to see her "son", but soon discovers that the person posing as Adrien is Alexia in advanced pregnancy. She nevertheless keeps the secret for herself, not wishing to interfere with her ex-husband's delusion.

Alexia's body gradually breaks down, as new metal plates start appearing from under her skin and she exudes what appears to be motor oil from her breasts and vagina. As her pregnancy eventually comes to term, it is revealed that Vincent knows she is an impostor but continues to treat her as his son.

Alexia eventually gives birth while Vincent helps her. He learns her name, as he repeats it while she passes away. Vincent, now in tears, holds the baby, whose spine appears to be made out of titanium.

Cast[]

Production[]

In September 2019, it was announced Vincent Lindon and Agathe Rousselle had joined the cast of the film, with Julia Ducournau directing the film from a screenplay she wrote. Neon is set to distribute the film in the United States.[5][6]

Production was initially set to begin in April 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] Principal photography eventually began in September 2020.[8]

Release[]

By June 2021, Altitude Film Distribution and Film4 jointly acquired distribution rights for the film.[9]

It was released in France on 14 July 2021, by Diaphana Distribution.[citation needed] Neon picked up the distribution rights in the United States and will release it on October 1, 2021.[10]

Critical reception[]

Titane received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 94% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 34 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.70/10. The site's consensus reads, "Thrillingly provocative and original, Titane reaffirms writer-director Julia Ducournau's delightfully disturbing vision".[11] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 75 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]

Nicholas Barber from BBC gave the film four out of five stars and called it "the most shocking film of 2021."[3]

Accolades[]

Titane had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 13 July 2021. During the beginning of the closing ceremony, jury president Spike Lee was told in French to reveal the "first prize", but misinterpreted the phrase to mean "first place". As a result, he prematurely revealed that the film had won the Palme d'Or. Ducournau is the second female director to win the award after Jane Campion in 1993 for The Piano,[13] as well as the fourth female overall after Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux won in 2013 for their performances in Blue is the Warmest Colour.[14]

At the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, the film won the People's Choice Award for Midnight Madness.[15]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Titane". Diaphana Distribution. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Titane". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Barber, Nicholas. "Titane: The most shocking film of 2021". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Cannes Film Festival: Julia Ducournau's 'Titane' wins Palme d'Or". Al Jazeera. 18 July 2021.
  5. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (10 September 2019). "Neon Nabs 'Titane,' Follow-Up Feature From 'Raw' Director Julia Ducournau". Variety. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  6. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (25 September 2019). "Kirill Serebrennikov's Petrov's Flu for Arte France Cinéma". CineEuropa. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  7. ^ Barfield, Charles (25 September 2019). "'Titane': Cast & Synopsis Revealed For New Film From 'Raw' Filmmaker Julia Ducournau". The Playlist. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  8. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (8 January 2021). "Wild Bunch International unveils 2021 French slate (exclusive)". Screen International. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  9. ^ Dalton, Ben (21 June 2021). "Film4 to co-distribute Cannes title 'Titane' with Altitude in UK and Ireland". Screen International. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  10. ^ "TITANE Coming 10.1". Twitter. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Titane (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Titane". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  13. ^ Grater, Tom; Tartaglione, Nancy (17 July 2021). "Cannes President Spike Lee Prematurely Unveils Palme D'Or Winner In Echo Of 2017 Oscar Mix-Up – Watch". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  14. ^ Chang, Justin (26 May 2013). "Cannes: 'Blue Is the Warmest Color' Wins Palme d' Or". Variety. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  15. ^ Steve Pond, "‘Belfast’ Wins Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award". TheWrap, September 18, 2021.

External links[]

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