Alleluia

Perversely fascinating wallow in the minds of some repulsive characters is a little frustrating once you realise there will be no attempt to dig into the psychological profile of these alarming people; this also means that each "Act" does tend to have a repetitive quality about it. However the fearlessly ugly extremes that Du Welz travels to, combined with a stunning pair of performances from Lucas and Dueñas, makes for an oftimes hypnotic (and even gruesomely amusing) experience.

Typically awful French crap. Only the French could fuck up such a great story. They are so bad at filmmaking. I wish that they would just quit.

A poor mans von Trier (to the point where the lead actress looks like the spit of Charlotte Gainsbourg.) Redeemed slightly by it's third act (fouth in the film itself,) but not enough to justify it's completely insufferable characters.

Gloria's (Lola Dueñas) glacial movement from weariness and resignation to tantrum-throwing blindness blends successfully with du Welz's return to unsettling, bucolic environs he first explored in Calvaire. Simpler than Vinyan and clearer than du Welz's first, Alleluia offers hope that his impending remake of Colt .45 will be its own film. Perhaps he'll avoid the mistakes of a vicennial of blockbuster cinema: rehashing franchises and told stories for shameless money-grabs and career launches.

Entertaining but not outstanding.

I can't help but compare this to the upsetting and wickedly funny The Honeymoon Killers, based on the same case. Alleluia can't match the wit, brutality, social critique or proto-Waters camp snarl of that tabloid masterpiece, settling instead for by-the-numbers detached anomie and provocation. What makes these people tick? Who cares? Not Fabrice Du Welz. They're just freaks in an artfully shot freak show. This is at least better than the awful Travolta/Hayek vehicle Lonely Hearts.

Not as good as Honeymoon Killers, but decent enough psychothriller with good performances and great cinematography from DP Manu Dacosse.

I had seen Du Welz's "Calvaire" earlier and thought that it was OK, but this was a surprise. It's skillfully directed & shot, and starts like a proper drama which makes the lovers' descent feel worse. Dueñas and Lucas are really good in their roles. While the topic is extreme, Du Welz does not resort to excessive gore and many actions take place outside the frame. The repetitive nature of the film diminishes it somewhat, but I'm eager to dive deeper into Du Welz's filmography.