Palindrome

A fascinating film, Palindrome has wit and eccentricity woven into it (particularly with the corner shop and warehouse scenes). I finished this film and was left with a lot to think about. This film questions the way we perceive the arts, our journeys through life, and whether death has meaning. I haven't seen any of Flemmings' works before, but I hope to see more after this.

A palindrome is a word or a story that can be read the same forward or backward, which is the idea of the multiple stories within this film. At the same time, it may be about a painter named Anna who becomes famous at a very personal cost while Fred, a patient in a psychiatric facility, is obsessed with saving Anna from being killed. So what is the story about? Is it Fred trying to find a way toward sanity or Anna realizing that she must destroy herself? Or both? Or are they just two sides of the same story? This movie doesn't give you any answers. Also: what do the mysterious turn of the last century nurse and doctor have to do with all of this? If you're the kind of person who throws their arms up and gets angry at the artier side of film, then this movie isn't for you. If you're willing to put an investment into watching something and coming away with your own impression of what the artist was attempting to share, then you may very well enjoy your time here. This is a movie that doesn't just try to tackle one issue, but many, and at times it's scattershot, but that could also be its charm. But like I said, your experience may vary.