No Rest for the Brave

REVIEW
Intellectual French cinema is alive and well in this refreshingly original and surreal metaphysical tale about a typical French teenager with a not-so-typical dilemma: he sincerely believes that the next time he falls asleep, he will die. Basile (Thomas Suire) is a talkative, excitable dreamer who has decided that he can only triumph over mortality by never sleeping again. As his body and mind become exhuasted, reality blends with fantasy, triggering a hallucinatory existential odyssey -- a trip which includes encounters with odd townsfolk, small-time gangsters, a fugitive named Johnny Got and an usual and very close relationship with a much older man. If you think Basile's interactions with these eccentric characters may provide a linear plot -- this is definitely not the case! However, the film is pure viewing pleasure, as grand ideas are discussed amidst some hilariously bizarre occurrences: think Waking Life meets My Dinner with Andre. Self-taught director Alain Guiraudie's debut feature film explodes from his fertile imagination, making No Rest for the Brave a perfect festival film and a surefire candidate for future cult status.