
Synopsis: It depicts the comedic occurrences of a sexless couple as the COVID-19 pandemic transpires in the early stages of their separation.
Eugene Kotlyarenko wowed the Fantasia audience after the release of his Spree took (virtual) film festivals by storm in 2020 and later on became one of the most discussed films over the course of the year. In the new film of his, The Code, the director tries to allow the world of aspiring documentarian Celine (Dasha Nekrasova) and her boyfriend Jay (Peter Vack) to speak about the pandemic as they film a documentary about its implications.
This line of thought opens up fertile grounds for an in depth examination of how we as a society fell apart during the chaos caused by the COVID crisis especially as it relates to those who, for one reason or another, do not consider the virus a threat to their wellbeing. This seems to be the demeanor Celine and Jay hold towards COVID-19 in the documentary as there is an underlying ridicule towards individuals who drive around in masks are uncomfortable with a stranger’s handshake, and perhaps, have no intention to make any attempt at avoiding the disease. It should be clear, however, that this work of fiction portrays the earlier stages of the outbreak of the disease and consequently, one of the lesser understood aspects of the COVID era these romance centered movies have not yet tackled.
He is always focusing the cameras on the most intuitive places and repeatedly reveals to us how a particular shot is achieved. This, in turn, makes its meta narrative more engaging than if it were just presented to us through Celine’s world. But we keep observing the process of creating content which in turn, makes us appreciate the fact that there are ‘creators‘ attempting to bring those ideas to life. But there is one cardinal error that Kotlyarenko commits and that is he replaces an immensely powerful socio political message about the building of facades in Celine’s world that has been constructed by digital elements that have profoundly vacuous appeal.
Again the same trick Kotlyarenko also pulled in Spree although there he at least had a point that the covetous position is more enhanced by the modern clips and sic. Concerning The Code he systematizes the hypothesis of Spree that the internet is hostile to everyone, encouraging exploitation and all practices that have artificiality and alienation from the natural world. All may be the case, but he has never for once attempted to argue this point with popular culture contempt, even though he uses TikTok filters and fast editing, which are the trademarks of popular culture, to make an example of how popular culture has diminished.
Yes, our culture is degrading has science become so irrelevant that people trust anti-vaccine or Zero COVID advocates over it? It seems, that just as there are influencers with massive followers who can command anything, there are communities that now possess greater power. It sends morbid narcissism to a completely new level.
However, despite Kotlyarenko’s formidable critique of online culture, we would struggle to become emotionally invested in any of his arguments because we struggle to understand any of the themes and characters he presents. What does Celine think about the COVID-19 pandemic aside from the artistic mask she wants to wear for the sake of her film? What does Jay think of the crisis and his romance with Celine? He takes a look at these questions but never provides a satisfactory answer because his characters always seem to be imprisoned in a circle of their own making, one of stagnation and lack of development.
Dasha’s acting is definitely not a salvaging factor as it borders on ridiculousness and completely fails to align with the self-aware undertone that runs throughout Kotlyarenko’s style and the ridiculous songs involved. This actress is light years away from the stage and screen emotional range that Ilinca Manolache delivered as Bobita in Radu Jude’s Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of The World, a satirical narrative completely unafraid to comment on not just COVID, but how drenched in artifice online culture is as many people like Angela’s former avatar of Bobita would never live such an existence in reality.
In The Code, there is no sense of personal distance similar to the one we find in The Code because there is none is simulated. There might have been some point behind it, but it becomes tedious and annoying pretty quickly. Instead of being able to say something, anything, about how online culture has rendered the discussion of COVID as impossible as assimilating cliche tropes, he decides to populate his movie with as many clashing images as possible in order to elicit strong emotions from audiences.
Perhaps it did work during Fantasia, but the failure of audience engagement to perceive anything it contains fully slaughtered whatever rhythm its first images managed to create. Also, with a reverse Radu Jude handwritten credits from Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of The World, even using Celine and Jay’s constructed digital backdrop for the credits instead of the customary practice of reverting to the most basic elements of cinema, it is impossible to think that Kotlyarenko will ever be able to catch up with any of Jude’s impeccable parodies about the doom brought to us all by the enshittification of the society we all live in.
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