Inside (2023)

Inside (2023). Inside: Directed by Vasilis Katsoupis. With Willem Dafoe, Gene Bervoets, Eliza Stuyck, Andrew Blumenthal. Nemo, a high-end art thief, is trapped in a New York penthouse after his heist doesn't go as planned. Locked inside with nothing but priceless works of art, he must use all his cunning and invention to survive.

“Willem Dafoe has defined his career with a lot of risky ventures, especially when it comes to characters heavily seeking some form of self enlightenment. With his newest project, he takes on the grotesqueries of art and life by showcasing the canvas of his disheveled and imperfect body.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDafoe plays a near over the hill Art thief who is trapped in the luxurious apartment of a well to do art dealer. Pretentious and lacking function, the apartment serves as an artistic representation of the modern capitalist mindset. While we can see the flashy and eye pleasing layers from the surface, it lacks functionality and depth. You canu0026#39;t survive on condiments and crackers, and what exactly is the point of a heavily chlorinated reflecting pool.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFrom an allegorical sense, the art in the apartment encapsulates the modern human condition. All of the art misrepresents the human form, twisting the subject or obstructing the view, never allowing us to see a perfect representation. We never truly get to see the people in the artistic works for who they are…much like Dafoeu0026#39;s character. We know he is intrepid, but what life must a person live where he is removed from the world yet so easily forgotten? At one point he claims each man is his own island. His character might as well be on another planet.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s an interesting work to say the least as Dafoe descends into madness, eating dog food and fish, making up oratories of the apartment staff who frequent the building. We see the trajectory of life and death as Dafoe kills the expensive fish for nourishment and watches an injured pigeon pass away. Eventually the home turns into one of the pieces of art adorning the over the top apartment, gruesome and discombobulated.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI commend Dafoe for always taking on these sorts of projects, but it can be disturbing to see what an artist is willing to put himself through. Iu0026#39;m also thankful the ending was somewhat simple and direct, for I was fearful it might give us a rather wink-wink kind of pretentious ending which was frequently eluded to due to the type of art on display. Thankfully the film makers thought better of it.”