‘Passages’ Movie Review: A Brutally Authentic Dissection Of Modern Indiscretion
Photo from MUBI
From Joe Peltzer
An acting masterclass, particularly from Franz Rogowski, elevates Ira Sach’s latest bout of stinging, ruthless storytelling for a unique exploration of passion and modern relationships in Passages.
In the film, director Tomas (Rogowski) meets a young woman (Adèle Exarchopoulos) who he quickly falls for, throwing a wrench in his marriage to husband Martin (Ben Whishaw). Sach’s here, along with co-writer Mauricio Zacharias, dives into a story that emanates contemporary authenticity with a main character (Rogowski’s Tomas) who is as selfish as they come yet captivating at every turn. You’ll grow to hate him, but oddly love him, as well. It’s a film that presents a married gay couple struggling due to one man’s infidelity with a woman in equivalency to any other tale of infidelity, a refreshing normalizing of a dynamic foreign to film, but not reality. For many audiences, a fluid relationship such as the one depicted may be a lot to adapt to, but Sachs makes it accessible; the older-skewing crowd was abuzz after my viewing, commending every aspect of the film.
Passages expertly explores the individual emotional needs of Tomas, Martin, and Exarchopoulos’ Agathe with care while examining the impacts of each character’s decisions. Rogowski’s performance is the absolute standout here with a confident presentation that masks deep insecurity and confusion within. Sachs explores these feelings in each of the character’s interactions throughout the film, often in uncomfortable fashion, but with intention that pulls back the curtain on how all involved are affected. Each performance is terrific, the actors raw and laid bare with their emotions, bringing every line of the script to life with remarkable honesty. Passages is one of those “slice of life” films that doesn’t shy away from the more troubling aspects life a la Marriage Story, Pieces of a Woman, and others.
Sachs is a remarkable filmmaker, taking the human characters within his stories and presenting them in empathetic ways, even the worst of them. There is nothing flashy or groundbreaking about his visual cinematic styling, rather Passages is presented in a refreshingly simple, normal way. It allows the focus to rightfully be on the three stars who are bringing their all and especially allows Rogowski to deliver one of the year’s best performances.
Passages is now playing in select theaters and will expand on August 11th, 2023.
Rating: 4/5
