High-Rise (2015) ***
In 1975 J.G. Ballard released his novel High-Rise, said to be one of Ian Curtis of Joy Division's favorite books, cited as an influence on the Doctor Who (1963–1989) serial Paradise Towers (1987), and used as the basis for a song of same name by the band Hawkwind on their 1979 album PXR5.
40 years later Ben Wheatley's cinematic adaptation High-Rise (written by his wife Amy Jump) was released via legendary producer Jermey Thomas (who also produced David Cronenberg's controversial 1996 film adaptation of Ballard's infamous 1973 novel Crash). Thomas had been trying to make a film version of H-R since the 1970s, originally with Nicolas Roeg set to direct and Paul Mayersberg set to write (the two had previously worked together on 1976's incomparable The Man Who Fell To Earth). Based on that collaboration and considering the source material, that would have been a dream team and one can only ponder the trippiness that could have been.
As it is, Wheatley's film is a solid one, but I didn't find myself terribly engaged. Keep in mind that I have not read the Ballard novel, so while it may be a "faithful" adaptation (it was once said to be unfilmable), it rang a bit hollow to me.
The story of a self-contained luxury tower block gone awry when its hedonistic owners fail to provide amenities to “lower floor” residents is certainly an intriguing one. The performances are all good, Laurie Rose's cinematography is excellent, Mark Tildesley's production design is superb, and Clint Mansell's score (along with the soundtrack) is very good. I can never hate on experimental, "artsy" films of this ilk, simply because I appreciate that they still get made from time to time, but this particular one didn't “wow” me. I honestly wonder what a version directed by Cronenberg would have been like, as he's another filmmaker tailor-made for this type of stuff—maybe he didn't want to return to the Ballard well twice.
I had been meaning to watch H-R since its release and only finally got around to it. Wheatley's track record isn't actually that strong with me, but I keep checking out his work because there's always something attractive about his projects. There's definitely aspects of this film that deserve appreciation and I'm sure the dystopian themes and Wheatley's presentation will connect with some more than others.
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