Fans of writer/director/DJ/electronic musician Quentin Dupieux aka Mr. Oizo, know that to categorize or even merely describe any of his artistic output is completely pointless. No two of his creations are the same, with the only real connective tissue being that they are often quite absurd. His latest, Smoking Causes Coughing, is no different, and is about as bizarre, fun, and thoughtful as everything that came before. And now I will try to describe it to you and fail miserably at doing so.
The Tobacco Force is a group of five spandex-clad, Power Rangers-esque superheroes, each representing a carcinogenic ingredient in cigarettes (they are proudly anti-smoking to boot). When their powers combine, they are able to destroy even the strongest beasties. Unfortunately, their abilities are weakened by distress within the group. On the surface, this plucky quintet of heroes seems okay, but when one of their members experiences a delay in getting his powers to work, their boss, a slime-drooling lothario puppet rat, sends them on a restorative retreat in an effort to repair their faltering team spirit.
It’s a lot, but this main plot line quickly becomes a sort of wraparound story for what is essentially an anthology of hilarious and silly sketches. You see, as the Tobacco Force bonds, they find themselves sharing stories and anecdotes, each of which take the form of a silly short film — very much in Dupieux’s wheelhouse.
This leads to the film feeling less like a complete entity and more like a dumping ground for any and all ideas that Dupieux couldn’t find a home for, but when you’re dealing in high-absurdity, it’s not always smart to expect a cohesive whole. Frankly, it’s not really that smart to expect anything at all. This is why we love Dupieux: he wiped his ass with the rulebook long before his filmmaking career even started, and has been pumping out strange hilarity with a regularity matched only by the super-prolific Takashi Miike. An annual Quentin Dupieux flick is now standard for the Philadelphia Film Festival, and in the midst of plenty of serious fare, it’s always a welcome addition.
What is perhaps most amazing about this alt-superhero sci-fi anthology is the talent Dupieux manages to not just round up, but somehow put on the same wavelength as his off-kilter brand. Everyone gets the joke, which feels impossible.
Directed by Quentin Dupieux
Written by Quentin Dupieux
Starring Oulaya Amanra, Ferdinand Canaud, Alain Chabat, Anais Demoustier
Not Rated, 80 minutes
