Bigbug

The films of Jean-Pierre Jeunet have always been quite delectable, spewing splashes of colorful feasts throughout his films or art-house aesthetics with almost noir themes. Jeunet is, without a doubt, one of the more unique writers and directors to take on cinema. It is the many risks he takes that equate to genuine cinematic bliss. From his exquisite and vibrant 2001 film Amélie (also known as Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain) to his sadly abandoned film A Very Long Engagement, Jeunet has since made a name for himself throughout the culture of cinema. So, it came with considerable excitement seeing a Netflix distributed film named Bigbug, directed by the fantastic Jean-Pierre Jeunet, but after the nearly 2-hour sit-down to experience such a unique film, I, unfortunately, can’t say it was the blissful comeback I was surely hoping for when going in blind. And so entering the limelight, this more-than eccentric written feature, Bigbug, brings together 10 wild characters amid an android-oriented lockdown. Set in the somewhat distant future, robotic assistance/servants lay claim to most households to serve humans. And as it’s their job to assist and protect their humans, the group of mismatched individuals is indefinitely locked in a home as a protection protocol while a rampant android scours neighborhood. 

As referenced before, my disappointment from this film was quite apparent, to say the least. Jumping into this film, the introduction bamboozles you with an uncomfortably dragged-out skit to set the tone and ridiculousness Jeunet intends for audiences to feel. And while most fans may appreciate the seemingly weird introduction, those unfamiliar with Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s films will be thrown for a loop as the film never feels as if it’s following a straight line at any point. Once the film finally begins the almost whimsical journey, the picture will go from weird to downright insane. Without giving the audience a second to prepare for what’s to come, the film breaks into a visual festival with its blustering colors and characters that feel as if taken from a Tim Burton Claymation. Each absurdly written character appears almost all at once as a way to start the main conflict as soon as possible, and it is then when the first flaw reveals itself front and center. This film’s pacing is something out of a comic book, random scenes appearing after the other to keep the dreamscape-Esque theme alive and on fire to convey the tone of this film is not to be taken seriously. But it loses its genuine aspects for the sake of comedic punchlines and slapstick jokes, which will surely exhaust audiences rather quickly. 

To say Bigbug is not for the average viewer would be an understatement; the film comes across as a looney tune clip show attempting to creep out those unfamiliar with French cinema and its quirky ticks. But the confusing thing about this film is that what makes it seem so daunting and bloated also makes the film a beautiful risk, featuring quaint, tasteful scenes. The writing throughout a large majority is the main problem spanning the duration of the film, as it feels some scenes’ dialogue overstays its welcome. Not to mention the disappointingly written screenplay and overall linear character writing, Bigbug almost becomes a bit of a bore in some areas. But it’s the wacky atmosphere and sincere charisma seeking to seduce audiences that some will come to appreciate, presenting beautifully constructed scene composites with vibrant colors dispersed delicately in every scene, feeling reminiscent of the rich color grading in (2008) Amélie. But again, even with such a grand production design and colorists, the tragic writing painfully trumps the film’s forgiving aspects. Combining the ill-advised pacing and screenplay, the film becomes a badly drawn caricature unsure of what it’s attempting to be. Although the tone remains consistent, intolerable character writing is more than obvious and becomes annoyingly distracting. And since the film stays persistent to deliver happenings within every scene, there is little time to directly develop characters. It’s almost maddening to endure a film unable to provide an inch of relevant character writing, which leaves the film feeling empty. 

Unfortunately, Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s latest bizarre picture comes out unable to stick the landing properly. Even with an alluring production and color, the writing of the film impairs the quality greatly by eliminating needed character writing and satisfying plot development. Overall, Bigbug is a film that would benefit if muted and watched as a silent film, seeing as the dialogue serves only to frustrate. It is saddening to see how disappointing the film turned out to be, and it will become known as an embarrassing guilty pleasure.