Nicolas Klotz’s Heartbeat Detector (La Question Humaine in French), based on Francois Emmanuel’s novel, is a stylish and subtle film of ideas concerning humanity’s conflict with rigid and efficient ideas of progress. The story centers on Mathieu Amalric’s Simon Kessler, a human resources psychologist working at German multinational petrochemical corporation SC Farb.

What first appears as a basic exploration of corporate greed and the dangers of losing oneself in the corporate world quietly turns into a deeper exploration of present day models of efficiency that go back as far as World War II - the connection between fascism and corporate greed being stronger than one might originally think.

The story begins with Kessler being asked to investigates his boss, who has been acting “peculiar.” His investigation causes Kessler to confront a model of working that directly conflicts with the pieces of his soul he hasn’t yet sold to the corporate gods. The world Klotz places Kessler in is one of sensation, filled with music, muted tones and more conceptual moments than plot points. Specifically, he uses the role of music in the life of Simon Kessler to give us a tangible and emotional example of what’s at stake.

A Michael Clayton or The Corporation that leaves out witty dialogue and overt politics, Heartbeat Detector is about a day and age where so many carry corporate sins on their sleeves in place of where their heart used to be. While the analogies of the film may seem like a stretch and more than a little heady in terms of a cinematic experience, this is a film that gives you back what you work for.

In a sense, I feel that the unconventional narrative works with the issues the film addresses. Hollywood becomes more and more efficient everyday, as formulaic content based on models of success determine what we see in our theaters. With that efficiency, we lose what’s important about cinema, what makes it an art form that speaks to humanity. Heartbeat Detector may not be easy, but it is that “inefficiency” that brings it closer to the heart of what it means to be human than anything in the box office top 10.

The film opens in New York on Friday and is distributed by New Yorker films, the trailer for the film is below. Also, and support an awesome grass roots ticketing company by taking some time to go to attend an event that might let you put more of your heart on you own sleeve.