Vox Lux: Brady Corbet’s film is an interesting one: the story that, in broad terms, is simply a stardom journey, is not particularly novel; the introduction of a few elements in the story itself bring some originality back. It is, however, through a few aesthetic choices that this film becomes distinctive: the dry and all-knowing narration, the camera that follows the characters around, and the tone of some performances give this a documentary feel but also compound a sense of dread that is present since they early moments of the film. Natalie Portman is quite good as the broken, self-centered and insufferable diva; some aspects of the characters are somewhat ciphered while others are quite clear, which makes an interesting combination. Jude Law is OK in his gruffness; Raffey Cassidy plays it in an off-putting, icy low-key. The songs are pure sugary pop, for what it’s worth, but an obvious fit to the story. As mentioned, Lol Crawley’s cinematography is an important element to creating the film’s mood, both dark and glittery.