Bliss

Joe Begos’ third film, Bliss follows struggling artist Dezzy (Dora Madison) as her life takes a turn for the violent after an especially bad drug trip. There’s little doubt that Bliss starts out with a fair degree of promise, as Begos delivers a stylish narrative that’s anchored by Madison’s intriguing, commanding central performance – although it doesn’t take long before the inherently less-than-eventful storyline becomes somewhat oppressive. (And it’s clear, too, that Begos’ larger-than-life visual sensibilities ultimately wind up exacerbating the progressively uninvolving atmosphere.) The unexpected (and impressively violent) mid-movie twist admittedly does provide Bliss with a brief burst of much-needed energy, and yet it’s apparent that Begos’ Gaspar Noe-esque approach to his own screenplay, which is simultaneously audacious and annoying, paves the way for an exhausting, ineffective final stretch (ie it’s just tedious past a certain point). The final result is a bold endeavor that probably would’ve worked best as a 10 minute short, with the picture nevertheless (and undoubtedly) destined for cult status in the years and decades to come.

** out of ****