Womb (2010) Movie Reivew

Title: Womb
Director: Benedek Fliegauf

Starring: Eva Green, Matt Smith, Lesley Manville, Peter Wight

Year of Release: 2010
Genre: Drama
Length: 111 minutes

Rated: R

Tagline: What are the consequences of giving birth to your dead boyfriend?

Summary: A woman's consuming love forces her to bear the clone of her dead beloved. From his infancy to manhood, she faces the unavoidable complexities of her controversial decision.

Source: IMDB.com

Review: This is not your average science-fiction movie. Womb is full of thought-provoking questions, many of which stem from one of the most complicated and simple questions on earth: Who am I?  While the film does not use a lot of obscenities, it does feature one fairly graphic sex scene, however it is tastefully done.  As a European film, the movie is very different from most American/Hollywood flicks.  Dialogue is minimal and there is little if any musical score to accompany the action. 

I had heard of the film several months ago and, as I'm a Matt Smith fan thanks to Doctor Who, I was eager to see it but was unable to until now.  A friend of mine reminded me of the film recently and I happened to see it was streaming on Xfinity, so I watched it.  When I told the friend I was watching the movie, she said she did not think she would be able to handle it.  She is nineteen.  I include this brief digression to emphasize that the topics and themes in the movie may not be suitable for not only younger viewers but also for people who are not interested in jolting ideas that may make them question various aspects of their life and their life in general.  This movie deals with some deep ideas and, while it is not graphic in violence, etc., the movie requires the viewer to be prepared.

Womb is different.  The cinematography is unusual and the characters are, at times, lacking personalities.  However, it is the questions that are important, not the characters, in this film.  While watching, I tried to decide if the film was intended to be a statement on cloning, etc., but I am undecided on this.  I lean more towards the idea that the film is meant to cause questions, not necessarily promote a pro-cloning or anti-cloning attitude.

That said, if you think you can handle it, I recommend it.  Personally, I think watching it alone and encouraging a friend to do the same so you can discuss after is ideal, rather than watching the film together.  It's definitely one to stir conversation.

Grade: B+

People Who Liked This Film Also Liked (According to IMDB): Rabbit Hole, The Ides of March, Another Earth, The Skin I Live In, Shame, and Carnage