That Obscure Object of Desire2026-02-15
Toronto, ON
As a takedown of a man and his gross obsessions, it's similar to Vertigo. The big hint here being the choice to have two different actresses play his "desire", which plays both on the surreal and pointing towards the objectifying nature of his desire. It's in the title! This man is pretty unlikable from the get-go, a pompous and self-righteous character who doesn't appear to pursue anything meaningful in his life, but still has the means to live a life of excess. So as this man elaborately tells this story, it's akin to watching a sink ship from afar, whereas Vertigo lulls you into the obsession and haunts you for your complicity. And all the while there's a crazy terrorism subtext going on that implicates the absurdity of everything. Great stuff to end a career on.
Watched on 35mm at the TIFF Lightbox. Ongoing Buñuel retrospective. Definitely my favourite of the lot so far, but odd to play his last film so early on during this retro. But now we get to fill it all in over the next week!
Watched on 35mm at the TIFF Lightbox. Ongoing Buñuel retrospective. Definitely my favourite of the lot so far, but odd to play his last film so early on during this retro. But now we get to fill it all in over the next week!