Instant Favorite.

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

La cravate (1957) *** (out of 4)The first film from director Alejandro Jodorowsky was considered lost for five decades until a print thankfully showed up. The story is pretty simple as we meet a young woman who runs a living head factory. In other words, her shelves are full of heads and we see how the shop works.This Jodorowsky shorts clocks in at 20 minutes, which is a tad bit too long. For the most part this is a well-made short that manages to be entertaining throughout, although there's no question that it drags in a few spots. I thought the director did a very good job at making the mime style work and I also thought that the cast, including the director, were good. The cinematography is good as is the music score.

"La cravate" is a pretty absurd 20-minute short film from director Alejandro Jodorowsky, probably his most known work. He is way into his 80s today and still appears in films, even if the last almost 60 years certainly have not been that prolific for him. It is a French movie and the man is Chilean-born, but don't worry, you don't have to speak French or Spanish in order to watch this as there is nobody speaking in here. It's basically a story about a young woman who sells human heads. Sounds like a horror movie, but it is really much more of a comedy with all the bright colors and joyful music. To me, it looked a lot like a theater play, as if I was watching it live on stage. Still, I must say this Thomas Mann adaptation was missing something to keep me really interested here, even if I must say this film looked a lot younger than 1957. All in all, neither the acting nor the acting were fascinating enough to let me recommend this one. Thumbs down.

Alejandro Jodorowsky is doubtlessly one of the most unique directors in the history of motion pictures. I guess I am not alone by stating that his brilliantly bizarre midnight movie milestone "El Topo" of 1970, the surrealist masterpiece "The Holy Mountain" (1973) and the stunning "Santa Sangre" (1989) all rank among my favorite films, and that there is hardly another living filmmaker I respect as deeply as Jodorowsky. Made eleven years before his impressive feature length debut "Fando y Lis" (1968), Jodorowsky's first film "La Cravate" (aka. "Les têtes interverties"/"The Severed Heads") of 1957 is a delightful surrealist silent short, which was long considered a lost film. While this film may not be as essential as "El Topo" and "The Holy Mountain" it is definitely a highly memorable film for lovers of surreal avant-garde cinema and Jodorowsky fans in particular. Jodorowsky made this film when he was in Paris, where he had joined the troupe of celebrated pantomime Marcel Marceau in 1954, and become a part of the surrealist movement.I don't want to get into detail about the plot, so I'll just say this much - the film is a surreal mixture of Fantasy and bizarre love-story which revolves around the possibility of exchanging one's head... The film is set in (a painted) Paris, the characters are entirely bizarre, and some of them very lovable. Jodorowsky himself plays the leading character, and, in his comical costume with a huge collar, has barely any resemblance to the full-bearded gunslinger he would play in "El Topo". The film also stars Jodorowsky's future wife Denise Brossot and American actor Saul Gilbert. Gilbert died shortly thereafter, and his wife, who was from Germany, took the only copy home with her after his death. The film then disappeared in an attic for almost half a century, until it was rediscovered in 2006. How lucky for us! Compared to Jodorowsky's later films "La Cravate" - the original title refers to the tie worn by Jodorowsky's character - is very harmless and innocent, which also makes it a nice contrast to his other films. While his feature length debut "Fando Y Lis" of 1968 is in black and white, this 1957 debut short is very colorful, by the way. All things considered, this is a worthy debut of a cinematic genius, a great short film, and an absolute must for my fellow Jodorowsky-fans.

Fans of avant garde film may find this interesting, and fans of Alejandro Jodorowsky will certainly want to see his first film.Those with psychological training my see this as an example of Body Dysmorphic Disorder - an internal dissatisfaction with their appearance. Fortunately, Jodorowsky has a solution - as store where you can find a new head if you, or your loved one is repulsed by yours.But, what is interesting is that there is always someone who wants your head when you don't like it. Luckily, our hero found that out before it was too late and regained his head and a new love.So, don't lose your head over some woman, just keep looking until you find the one that likes your's the way it is.