Some are born to be famous, others have fame thrust upon them – and while many of us find the idea of being world-renowned and benefitting from living a life filled with wealth and luxury, there are more than enough cautionary tales about the perils and pratfalls of fame to dissuade anyone with these ambitions from seriously pursuing such a way of life. Few people know the challenges of being in the public eye from a very young age more than Brady Corbet, who spent years navigating the industry as a child actor, shoehorned into positions where he was promoted as the next major young star, a status he quickly shed once he was able to attain some level of independence, which he chose to filter into filmmaking, becoming an acclaimed writer and director in his own right, and choosing to set aside acting in favour of pursuing other roles within the industry. His debut, Childhood of a Leader, caused critics and audiences to sit up and take note, while his most recent offering, The Brutalist, consolidated him as an essential voice in contemporary cinema. Yet, it’s the film that exists in between them that has stirred some of the most spirited conversation regarding his skills and body of work, with Vox Lux being considered the moment he truly came into his own as a monumental talent, not merely the actor-turned-director trope that has become immensely popular over the last couple of years. The film follows the rise of Celeste, who accidentally becomes one of the biggest pop stars of the 21st century after surviving a school shooting, and filtering her emotions into songs that eventually get noticed, skyrocketing her to worldwide acclaim, something that she was not prepared for as a teenager, and is certainly not capable of handling as a fragile, broken adult who cannot escape her addictions. Divided into a few key chapters, the film examines Celeste’s journey, offering keen insights into how fame can be both a blessing and a curse, and along with his partner and source of creativity Mona Fastvold, Corbet cobbles together a fascinating deconstruction of celebrity culture and the psychological toll it can take on those put in a position where they simply cannot escape the spotlight.

Fame is a fascinating concept – it is something that many of us crave, but looking at what notable figures from across history have said about it, it should not be taken as the ultimate sign of success, and those who dream of becoming a world-renowned leader in their field should probably reconsider their choice of career. One quote that I find particularly impactful, both for what it means and because of the source, is “fame doesn’t fulfill you. It warms you a bit, but that warmth is temporary”, a remark by Marilyn Monroe, a tragic figure whose own premature demise can be partially attributed to her struggles with consistently being in the spotlight. Corbet sets out to explore the themes implied by this and many other similar sentiments, which is that becoming a celebrity is not an easy journey – climbing that hill is extremely challenging, but falling can be done with very little effort, with the journey upwards again being even harder the second or third time around. Vox Lux has some fascinating insights into the life of someone who inadvertently became a sensation, which enveloped her life to the point where she wasn’t able to escape while she had a chance. Being a celebrity is one of the only careers where you cannot entirely resign – even if you step away from your particular field and attempt to fade into obscurity, you will forever remain a part of the ecosystem of fame, just with the additional baggage of being seen as a failure. All of this is the foundation on which Corbet and Fastvold construct this story, which explores the protagonist’s journey over roughly two decades, depicting her perpetual struggle to maintain both a seemingly normal domestic life – particularly in her tense relationship with her daughter and sister – as well as meeting expectations of her legions of supporters, which can sometimes be drowned out by the repetitive droning of the journalists and critics that have their agenda for how they perceive her work. These themes are all compacted into a harrowing and deeply unnerving depiction of fame, which presents a very different perspective on the experience of being a celebrity and navigating the usual challenges that outsiders rarely see.

The structure of Vox Lux has been the source of a lot of discussion, with the film being divided into a series of chapters, primarily split down the middle to show the early years of the protagonist in the first half (covering several years), and the second half being set over a single day as she prepared for a concert that evening. This is a very dynamic approach to the narrative process, and the reason the film has such a unique energy throughout, that it avoids limiting itself to only one style of filmmaking. The role of Celeste is divided between two actors at different points in her life, and while much of the marketing is built around Natalie Portman and her performance, the heart and soul of Vox Lux is Raffey Cassidy, a young actor who has amassed quite an impressive body of work in a short period, most of which has to do with her incredible talent and wonderful ability to emote in ways that even our greatest of thespians would find engaging. As the younger version of Celeste, she is the emotional centre of the film, playing this young woman who is navigating fame without any real guidance, and ultimately being shoved into the spotlight against her wishes. She also takes on another role, playing Celeste’s daughter in the second half of the film, and while this section is certainly not focused on her, she still brings so much incredible complexity to the part of someone trying to live in the shadow of her mother. It’s a fantastic performance and the reason the film works so well. Portman is still excellent, especially in the quieter moments where she interacts with other characters – her musical performances are not as strong as they could have been, but considering she is not accustomed to that particular style of performance, the small issues we have with it can easily be forgiven based on the strength of her acting, which is where the film uses her most appropriately.

The thematic content is fascinating, and the performances that anchor the film are exceptionally strong, but what truly binds everything together is Corbet’s direction. From the start of his filmmaking career, he’s established himself as someone who does not intend to follow conventions when it comes to making his films, which extends from the beginning of the conceptual stage to the moment the editing process is completed – and to achieve this, he enlists a wide range of very gifted artists on both sides of the camera to realise his vision. Vox Lux is a very well-made film, and puts in a lot of effort to avoid becoming just another one-dimensional showbusiness satire, which is achieved through structuring the film in a very unique way, and ensuring that every moment has some meaning behind it, which is usually accomplished through the elements that are highlighted in a particular scene. Lol Crawley’s cinematography plays a substantial part in establishing the tone of the film – the oscillation between clean, geometric framing and more dynamic camera work allows the film to constantly be surprising and engaging, and his photography is stunning throughout, capturing the chaos of Celeste’s life in vivid detail and presenting the audience with some unforgettable images. There was a lot of attention drawn to this film after it was revealed that Sia (one of the most acclaimed performers of the past few decades) would be composing original songs for this film – and while those expecting a wall-to-wall musical may be disappointed (since the film deliberately does not present them as earth-shattering moments, but rather just a part of the protagonist’s daily routine – the concert that ends the film is notable for being less about the performance and more about the circumstances that surround it), we cannot deny that her participation lends the film a sense of fascinating authenticity. The formal aspects of Vox Lux are only one component of the film, but Corbet’s directorial prowess – especially for someone still so young and seemingly inexperienced – is more than enough for us to be at least partially invested in the story being told.

Vox Lux is certainly a peculiar film, a work of engaging, enthralling artistry designed to stir a wide range of emotions, some of which are compelling, whereas others are much less pleasant, but they all reflect something more profound about our society and everything that it represents. There’s something truly captivating about how Corbet constructs this film, which is a much more engaging work than a lot of us may imagine based on a cursory glance – its easy to expect this to be yet another scathing satire of the entertainment industry, one that aims to show the machinations of celebrity culture and the challenges faced by those who find themselves constantly in the spotlight. This is the core of the film, but it’s far from its sole focus, as Corbet constructs a deep and insightful deconstruction on fame and how it can psychologically impact someone, as well as having an enormous effect on their interpersonal relationships, which are usually the aspects of life that bear the brunt of living in the public eye. It’s wonderfully engaging work, and Corbet makes some brilliant decisions that elevate this film beyond being a mere one-dimensional examination of these themes and what they represent in a much broader and more provocative sense. It is not difficult to see why Corbet has become one of the most intriguing and discussed directors, since his arc of going from teen heartthrob to arthouse auteur has been surprising and delightful, and while Vox Lux does have a few imperfections, it is nonetheless a tremendously compelling film, and a work of pure artistry that earns every bit of our attention and time, and I suspect it will only age better as we see celebrity culture continue to be a pressing topic of discussion as time goes on.