
In restless 1930s Paris, the American sisters and spiritual mediums, Laura and Kate Barlow, are an authentic psychic act touring pre-war Europe. Indeed, such is their reputation, that sceptical but curious spectators join them on stage, eager to experience a hypnotic séance with the dearly departed. As one thing leads to another, the French film producer, André Korben, dazzled by the sisters' extraordinary psychic ability during a performance, decides to enlist their help, ... (Full plot summary below)
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In restless 1930s Paris, the American sisters and spiritual mediums, Laura and Kate Barlow, are an authentic psychic act touring pre-war Europe. Indeed, such is their reputation, that sceptical but curious spectators join them on stage, eager to experience a hypnotic séance with the dearly departed. As one thing leads to another, the French film producer, André Korben, dazzled by the sisters' extraordinary psychic ability during a performance, decides to enlist their help, in high hopes of capturing even the faintest suggestion of a real paranormal manifestation. Little by little, World War II creeps in, and Korben's prestige rests entirely on the success of this single effort. But, are the Barlow Sisters nothing but an elaborate hoax, or do they genuinely possess the dark gift?
Leave your thoughts about Planetarium.
| New York TimesBen KenigsbergIt's unusual to see such excellence in costumes, sets and cinematography lavished on this degree of narrative muddle. |
| PopMattersStephen MayneThere's little in the way of forward momentum, and certainly no answers (arguably there are not even any questions), but as an experience it's certainly something. |
| GuardianJordan HoffmanThere are plenty of movies about movies that put a spotlight on creating movie magic. This may be the first one about actual magic in movies. |
| AV ClubMike D'AngeloNumerous potentially interesting ideas orbit one another in Planetarium, but none boasts sufficient gravity to merit a landing, it seems. |
| New YorkerRichard BrodyFor all of its virtues and distinctions, Planetarium isn't a comprehensive experience; it's a teeming and gleeful grab bag of deft cinematic flourishes. |
| FILMINK (Australia)Travis Johnsona fascinating curio of a film, but not much more. |
| Slant MagazineWes GreeneGiven all its clumsily executed genre detours and tonal fluctuations, Rebecca Zlutowski's Planetarium suggests an amateur juggling act. |
| Cinema ScopeDiana DabrowskaThis liquified Chanel ad doesn't take us to heaven along the way-it just plunges us into an infernal abyss of boredom. |
| One Room With A ViewStephanie WattsIt's a shame because the idea behind Planetarium is interesting, and the visual style in the opening credits is promising, but the storytelling lacks presence, which makes it not much more than a collection of pretty but vacuous sequences. |
| HeyUGuysLuke ChannellRebecca Zlotowski's third film is a muddled, inscrutable jumble of ideas and images. |