My Mutant Brain

Written and directed by Spike Jonze, My Mutant Brain is a four-minute perfume ad for the KENZO Parfums company to promote the new fragrance called KENZO World created by Carol Lim and Humberto Leon. The short plays into many of the visual and thematic sensibilities of Jonze to promote this ad as it features Margaret Qualley in the short. Set in a building that is a part dining hall and amphitheater, it revolves around this young woman, played by Qualley, who is bored at the dinner as she walks out and then dances around to the music by Sam Spiegel and Ape Drums featuring Assassin in a song called Mutant Brain. There, she dances throughout the building that feature an array of mirrors and other strange things throughout the short.

With the usage of unique tracking shots and stead cams to capture every movement Qualley is doing in her dancing, that is choreographed by Ryan Heffington, where it has this air of energy and excitement. Jonze and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema manages to create something that isn’t some commercial but rather something more. Especially where van Hoytema’s lighting is quite gorgeous and is aided with the usage of the mirrors courtesy of production designer K.K. Barrett. Adding to the short’s unique look is the green dress that Qualley wears which is designed by Heidi Bivens as it gives the film a lot of color. Aided by Eric Zumbrunnen’s stylish but controlled editing that allows each shot to be given enough time, Jonze would make there is something going on so that the audience can understand what is going on.

My Mutant Brain is a phenomenal short by Spike Jonze that features an exhilarating performance from Margaret Qualley. While it is an ad for a perfume, it is at least a perfume ad that is imaginative and fun to watch while being very wild and quirky. In the end, My Mutant Brain is a sensational film from Spike Jonze.


Spike Jonze Films: Being John Malkovich - Adaptation - Where the Wild Things Are - Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak - Her

Related: 25 Essential Videos by Spike Jonze - The Auteurs #54: Spike Jonze

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