Daaaaaali!

Just last month I watched Quentin Dupieux's Yannick, this week I was able to catch up with Daaaaaali! These two films were released in 2023, but don't qualify as his latest, as the man already has a new feature out. There's just no keeping up with Dupieux these days. And once again, he didn't disappoint. With Dali, Dupieux found a perfect subject for his cinema, a surreal and absurdist movie about one of the most famed absurdist and extravagant painters in recent memory. And once again, Dupieux nails the brief, delivering a film that fits his signature without bluntly copying his earlier work.

Dupieux has become the poster boy of absurdist cinema, though he has few peers and seems to operate by himself in this little niche. Comedies are still struggling and weird cinema has never truly thrived, but Dupieux has consistently made standout films within this genre, building himself a favorable and loyal fanbase. While most of his work more or less falls into the same genre categorization, he has made sure to diversify and explore different setups in each of his films, which is why they never end up feeling overly familiar or predictable.

In Daaaaaali! Dupieux boldly and unapologetically plays around with looping narratives that fold in on themselves. There are dreams within dreams, chronological loops, and meta moments as scenes reference each other with sparse logic connecting them. Dupieux behaves like a kid in a candy store, using these narrative hooks as perfect excuses to sneak in plenty of absurdist moments. While Dupieux has toyed around with setups like these before, they've never been front and center, and so the film earned its place in his ever-expanding oeuvre.

Dali hates mediocrity, so when he is invited to an interview and finds himself across Judith, a magazine writer with nothing but a notepad, he cancels the interview on the spot. Judith, a big fan of his work and a relative newcomer to the job isn't deterred by this setback, and she contacts a producer willing to back her idea to turn the interview into a feature-length cinematic masterpiece. Dali's whims are unpredictable and when he hears the dream of a clergyman during a dinner with his gardener, he starts to spiral, making Judith's task even more impossible.

Visually, the film is a noticeable step up from Dupieux's usual fare. Most of his films have somewhat minimalistic (dare I say drab) styling choices, it seems that his subject inspired him to make more of an effort. The film still has a strong 70s vibe running throughout, but the camera work seems more elaborate, as do color and lighting choices. I still believe there is plenty of room for improvement, as someone like Eduardo Casanova has aptly illustrated, but it's good to see Dupieux improving on some of his (minor) shortcomings.

I wish I could've said the same about the soundtrack, but this one here is even more baffling than usual. Dupieux had Thomas Bangelter (half of Daft Punk and responsible for the music of Irreversible) do the music for him, but all I remember is some silly little theme running underneath. There must be more to it as I noticed they released an EP, but the effect on the film is virtually nil. I don't understand how a (former?) music producer ends up with such bland and uninspired soundtracks for his films, but for me, it's Dupieux's greatest weakness.

As for the performances, no complaints there. We get a variety of actors playing Dali (in various stages of his life, though the narrative only spans a short time frame) and they all do a great job. Anaïs Demoustier is excellent as the film's anchor, while Romain Duris has a nice supporting role as Judith's producer. Dupieux always seems to get the most out of his actors and he seems capable of working with a varied and talented bunch. It's not trivial for the genre he operates in, which isn't always staffed properly, or has directors relying on a select group of returning names.

I'm not too familiar with Dali (the person, not the painter), but I remember him being rather eccentric. Of course, Dupieux adds an extra layer of excess, this isn't a documentary after all, but from what I do know about Dali the film feels appropriate. In a way, this film reminded me of the Weird Al Yankovic film that appeared not too long ago. It's not so much about the plot or narrative, rather it uses the medium itself to capture the essence of the artist and pay homage to his persona. It's a rare type of biography I appreciate.

Even though Quentin Dupieux does a superb job reinventing himself with each new film he makes, he does this within a rather strict and predictable framework. The upside is that his films are almost certain to appeal to my taste, the downside is that they never truly surprise me anymore. Daaaaaali! is a fitting and refreshing ode to one of the biggest painters of the 20th century, and it's every bit as madcap as the man's paintings. I can think of few directors who could pull this off adequately, and Dupieux doesn't disappoint in the slightest. It would be nice if he could find a way to take his audience by surprise, that's the only thing missing from his most recent films.