I hear what other critics have been saying in praise of this movie, calling it sublime, rich, complex, and bittersweet, and yes, to a certain degree, EDEN is all of that and then some. This isn't the first movie to ever tackle sex, drugs, and aimless life in the music industry, about artists who dream of hitting it big VS. following everybody else's regular plan, this isn't the first movie to do it, but why it has to be 131 minutes long is beyond me. I understand that it's a music honoring the electronic rave party music of the '90s, but I can honestly say that 85% of EDEN is not necessary story-related, it's just the film bombarding you with what rave nightclubs look and feel like.
The story is about this character named Paul, played by Felix de Givry who forms a DJ collective named Cheers and together they immerse themselves in the life of sex, drugs and endless music, while Paul also finds himself going from one relationship to another. I respect the efforts that director Mia Hansen-Løve's did to depict this life, the side of the world that perhaps a lot of us don't get to see or didn't grow up experiencing. All the lights, the colors, the partying, the attitude, the ecstasy and the energy. But I can go to a nightclub nearby and get the same thing. When I come to watch a movie, I expect some story to be told in it, and the only story I could get from Eden that's worth watching is that familiar story about how some folks feel like they need to follow their artistic dream instead of going to college and getting a regular job like everybody else. Following your own dream, especially in the world of art is always a big gamble, much riskier than others, because most of the time it doesn't pay off and you're left with your family and friends pointing fingers at you saying, 'I told you so.' There are many moments where EDEN could've trimmed down its runtime and narrowed its focus more, because then we would've received a compelling film.
