The Endless Summer (USA 1966)

When I was younger, summer was always in a way magical. It was a carefree time of which I have many fond memories. A time that I wished would never end. Now that I am older and more mature, I have become aware of the fact that nothing can last forever and that it was precisely the temporal limitation that made summer so special. I even learned to appreciate the other seasons too. But for a certain period of my life - and I believe I am not the only one with such memories - summer was what it was all about.

"The Endless Summer" follows two young California surfers searching for the perfect wave on a trip around the world. It is an inspiring film that changed the life of quite a few people. It shows you how simple and rewarding life can be if you (some financial backup provided) just do what you like to do the most. It inspired me to learn surfing and while it was quite frustrating in the beginning, I can now share at least some of the excitement the film's protagonists have for it. If you don't have any waves close to where you live, "The Endless Summer" will do perfectly in the meanwhile. It evokes that summer feeling so vividly that it makes you feel as if you have taken the journey around the world together with Mike and Robert.

From today's point of view, the innocent time the film was made is mostly responsible for the charm of the film. A time where you could still find deserted beaches everywhere, a time where you could trust on friendly hitchers to show you around and a time where surfers still wore suits and ties. Technically, the film doesn't have to hide from more spectacular current productions. It is inventive and amazingly well done for the time. But it is less the technical acomplishment than the film's spirit that makes it stand out among all the other surf films. This is especially true for the delightful narration of director Bruce Brown.

"The Endless Summer" is a beautiful film that is endlessly watchable. While it is primarily a film about surfing, it manages to transcend the genre with its universal theme of two people following their dream. It offers an escape into a fantasy life that we all sometimes aspire to.

8/10

The Easy Life: "The Endless Summer"

Am Ende des Tages (Austria 2011)

Since German is my native language, reviews to German language films are in German.

"Am Ende des Tages" beginnt mit einer Autofahrt. Ein bürgerliches Paar aus der Großstadt in ihrem Geländewagen auf dem Weg in ihr Sommerdomizil. Bereits diese erste Szene erinnert an einen Film von Österreichs wichtigstem Regisseur, Michael Haneke. In weiterer Folge wird der Mann, ein aufstrebender, aus den Medien bekannter Politiker, von einem Freund aus seiner Kindheit mit seiner dunklen Vergangenheit konfrontiert werden. Auch dies weckt Erinnerungen an Haneke, der sich in „Caché“ auf brillante Art und Weise mit den Themen Schuld und Verdrängung auseinandergesetzt hat.

Doch Peter Payer ist leider nicht Haneke oder um es noch deutlicher zu formulieren: er ist ein Anti-Haneke. Was Haneke auf subtile, meisterhafte Weise zu reduzieren versteht, bringt Payer überdeutlich zum Ausdruck. Alles wird aufgelöst um nur ja nicht das Publikum zu sehr vor den Kopf zu stoßen. Generell bewegt sich der Film auf gehobenem Fernsehfilm-Niveau was ja durchaus nachvollziehbar ist da der Regisseur hauptsächlich fürs Fernsehen arbeitet. Die Geschichte ist vorhersehbar, die Charaktere sind überzeichnet, die Dialoge wirken mitunter hölzern und die Musik ebenso nervig wie der immer wiederkehrende iPhone-Klingelton des Protagonisten. Auch die an sich guten Schauspieler mühen sich ab, ihren Rollen gerecht zu werden. Simon Schwarz ist zwar überzeugend unsympathisch, hat aber wohl schon in zu vielen Wolf Haas Verfilmungen mitgespielt um einen arroganten Politiker glaubhaft verkörpern zu können. Anna Unterberger ist als Millionärstochter ebenso fehlbesetzt. Nicholas Ofczarek gelingt es immerhin, seine am Rande einer Karikatur stehende Figur einigermaßen menschlich zu machen doch auch er kann den Film nicht retten. Ebenso wenig schafft dies Kameramann Thomas Prodinger. Ihm gelingen in den schönen alpinen Locations zwar einige eindrucksvolle Kompositionen, teilweise wirkt das Ganze aber wie ein Werbespot für Tirol oder einen bayrischen Automobilhersteller. 

Wenn der Film schon nicht als realistisches, provokantes Drama à la Haneke funktioniert, dann darf man sich doch wenigstens halbwegs anspruchsvolle Thriller-Unterhaltung erwarten, oder? Aber auch hier enttäuscht der Film - es mangelt schlicht und einfach an Spannung. Für die Unterhaltung des Publikums sorgen Anspielungen auf die österreichische Innenpolitik wie die Bezeichnung des Nachrichtenmagazins Profil als „Wichsvorlage für Mittelstandproleten“. Doch wer solch derbe Sprüche nötig hat, darf sich nicht wundern wenn böse Zungen in Versuchung kommen, den Film als ebensolche zu bezeichnen. Und ob das sehr negative Politiker-Bild, dessen Fraktionszugehörigkeit nicht nur durch die Farbe seines Hemds deutlich wird, im aktuellen politischen Klima sehr hilfreich ist, sei dahingestellt...

5/10

Funny Games: Anna Unterberger, Nicholas Ofczarek, Simon Schwarz

Mononoke-hime (Japan 1997)

"Princess Mononoke" is the kind of film I can really lose myself into. When I am watching it, I am able to forget about my surroundings and the problems of the "real" world. Not that they are not present in the film. The destruction of the environment especially is a main subject and it is even more timely now than at the time the film came out. There is an aura of melancholy in the film that is at heart of all great art but there is room for optimism too. This balance is the great strength of the film. The film does not think in black and white categories and is way more complex than one might intially expect.

"Princess Mononoke" may appeal to children as well but it is primarily a film for adults. It requires a certain maturity to be fully appreciated - which is a rare thing to say about an animation film.When I saw it for the first time at the age of 21, I was not yet ready for it because my artistic sensibilities were not yet fully developed. When I saw it again recently, I was overwhelmed by its graceful beauty, its epic scope and the masterful animation. I have not yet seen all of Miyazaki's films but it is so flawless I can't help calling it his masterpiece nonetheless...

9/10

Dances with wolves: "Princess Mononoke

Mitte Ende August (Germany 2008)

Since German is my native language, reviews to German language films are in German.

Ebenso wie Musik Filme können Filme Stimmungen erzeugen. Aber noch mehr können sie bestehende Stimmungen verstärken. Aus diesem Grunde bin ich der Überzeugung dass man Filme zur richtigen Zeit, im richtigen Moment sehen sollte. Dann erst erreicht das Filmerlebnis die maximale Intensität. Dies gilt auch in Bezug auf die Jahreszeiten: es gibt Filme für den Frühling, den Herbst, den Winter und den Sommer.

"Mitte Ende August" ist so ein Film der die Atmosphäre eines Sommers am Land wunderbar transportiert. Der Film ist ebenso ruhig wie der Schauplatz - ein verlassenes Haus am See - und auch die bedächtige Inszenierung erreicht (im positiven Sinne) die Trägheit heisser Sommertage. Die obligatorischen Sommergewitter dürfen natürlich auch nicht fehlen auch wenn sie im Film nur auf der Gefühlsebene ihren Ausdruck finden. Doch der Titel des Films bezieht sich nicht nur auf die Jahreszeit sondern ist vielmehr eine Metapher für den Status der Liebesbeziehung der beiden Hauptfiguren. Die aufregende, unbekümmerte Phase des Frühlings ist bereits vorbei und ebenso die schönsten Sommertage. Die Sonne scheint zwar noch vom Himmel aber die ersten Blätter fallen bereits von den Bäumen. Denn was der Film auf bedrückende Weise deutlich macht ist die Tatsache dass Mitte Ende August der Herbst und Winter nicht mehr weit ist...

7/10

Schau mir in die Augen, Kleines!

Senso (Italy 1954)

The story of Visconti's "Senso" is pure melodrama with some depth only coming from the political background. An aging Italian countess falls for a young and attractive Austrian lieutentant during the last days of the occupied Italian state and gives up everything for him, even the loyalty to her country. He, on the other hand, only uses her for money but has to pay for it with his life in the end. A classical drama of love an revenge, not really very complex.

But as the title suggests, "Senso" is, above all, a sensual experience. The film is beautiful and the painstaking period detail that Visconti put into the production can be seen and felt in every scene. (He wanted freshly cut flowers each day even in the rooms where they would not film!) "Senso" is quintessential Visconti not only in the lush production values and the classical music included in the film but also as far as the themes of the film are concerned. The cynicism and decadence of some of his later works is omnipresent and the romance seems to be doomed from the beginning. Alida Valli and Farley Granger are both great in their roles, the latter especially giving a surprising turn from tender gentleman to callous opportunist. As in Visconti's masterpiece "The Leopard", there is a nostalgic atmosphere of an era coming to an end and a certain - unspoken - antipathy against the bourgeois, mercenary middle class which is already sawing on the throne of the aristocracy (where Visconti himself descends from)...

A lot of great people were involved with the film: amongst others, Tennessee Williams collaborated on the screenplay, the great Giuseppe Rotunno took over as cinematographer and two of the assistant directors were Francesco Rosi and Franco Zeffirelli. While Rosi became known primarily as a film director in the neorealist tradition, the latter would follow Visconti's footsteps and become one of the most important theater directors of his time. Visconti later directed a lot of operas too which is only logical - "Senso" would have been worthy material for Verdi.

8/10

Don't be mistaken: "Sissi" this is not

Menace II Society (USA 1993)

The ghetto film genre had its heyday in the 90s. In retrospect, only few of them stick in the mind. "Menace II Society", the feature debut by the Hughes Brothers who now successfully work in Hollywood, is probably the best and most realistic of them.

When I recently rewatched it, it has lost none of its impact even though some parts seem a little exaggerated now. It is a powerful film that stands comparison with Scorsese's gangster films not only in terms of authenticity and characters but also as far as storytelling is concerned. Compared to other films of the genre, it is quite radical and not as melodramatic. The directors brilliantly play with the expectations of the viewer when they build some hope for the seemingly lost main character - only to relentlessly destroy it again. The primarily negative portrayal of African Americans in the film has been the subject of some discussion but any happy ending or pseudo-moral message would have meant denying reality. As the uncompromising ending suggests, there is jut not much hope for these people who are caught up in a spiral of violence.

8/10

"Show me the money": Larenz Tate

Cyrus (USA 2010)

"Cyrus" is the first studio-backed film from the brothers Jay & Mark Duplass. Previously, they have been associated with the Mumblecore movement where the main characteristics have been improvised dialogues and amateur actors. This is the first time time they work with "real" actors - and pretty good ones for that matter. The dialogues also seem mostly scripted this time. Nevertheless the semi-realistic atmosphere the Mumblecore films are famous for is still there.

The set-up of the film (a depressed middle-aged guy meets a nice and beautiful woman who happens to have a grown-up son, the "Cyrus" from the title) lets us expect an average independent film or even a more conventional romantic drama but the approach of the directors here is a little different. Usually young directors want to show off with their first films but the Duplass brothers are more modest. They don't seem to have this need for immediate attention. To them, their characters are more important than themselves. Very little seems all-too-obviously staged in "Cyrus". Apart from a few songs, there is no music in the film and the cinematography is reduced as well. Instead they put their actors in the spotlights. They have absolute confidence in them and don't just use them as puppets for their own "creative vision". As a result, there are a lot of awkard scenes in the film that most other directors would cut away from. But on the other hand the performances are mostly natural. We have come to expect that from John C. Reilly and Marisa Tomei but even Jonah Hill shows that he can be much more than just the funny fat guy. His character is still funny but at the same time he makes him mean, desperate and vulnerable.

It is no coincident that the film is called "Cyrus" because he is the main character. The romantic relationship between his mother and the new man is only the trigger for what is primarily a rather serious portrait of a troubled young man who, despite being already 22, is still a big kid that avoids responsabilty and does not yet know what he wants from life. (His passion is music and he has a recording studio at home, but judging from his "performances", there is not really a big market for his kind of music.) This is also where the circle to the mumblecore films closes because most of them also portray the current lost generation of twentysomethings.

The director's approach of realism and credibility doesn't always work though. The plot sometimes feels a little constructed and there are some scenes whose only purpose is to make the film more dramatic. Maybe the producers wanted them for entertainment value but they work against the realism. But these flaws don't really matter in this film that was never made to be "perfect" anyway. Instead the main aim of the directors was sincerity - and with more than a little help from their actors, they achieved it.

7/10

Cyrus the Virus: Jonah Hill

Super 8 (USA 2011)

When it comes to Hollywood blockbusters, what I mainly look for is heart and charm. Everything else (like direction, characters, plot, stars or special effects) is secondary to me and mostly can't be taken seriously in those films anyway. "Super 8" more than delivers in this category which is why I really liked it despite the weaker points it also has.

"Super 8" is a collaboration between two of the most successful and powerful people in Hollywood: Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams. The former has directed an unparalleled streak of blockbusters in the 80s and 90s while the latter, best known as producer of the TV phenomenon "Lost", only lately shifted to directing (after working on Spielberg movies very early on in his career). Neither of them was ever responsible for a real flop. Here Spielberg acts as a producer and Abrams as a director but there is never any doubt that this is a joint project. Why do I go into so much detail here? Because the two great entertainers (and their super-egos) are both the movie's great asset as well as its major problem.

The reason is that "Super 8" is essentially two movies (re)packaged into one: a nostalgic Spielberg science fiction mystery film with kids set in a small town (think "ET") and a modern J.J. Abrams monster movie with an affinity for technology (think "Cloverfield"). Which one you prefer probably depends on which generation you belong to. For me, growing up on Spielberg's films, it's a clear choice: it's the first part of the film, where the Spielberg touch is predominant, that would have had the potential to become an even better, if more sentimental, movie. The first scenes showing small-town life in the late 70s and the kids' enthusiasm for filmmaking - undoubtly references to the director's own childhoods - are very enjoyable and have genuine atmosphere. The young cast is also great with Elle Fanning standing out. The boys seem to be just playing themselves which is fine but she is the one that is really acting and touching our emotions.

However, as you might have guessed, there are not only humans in this movie. As soon as the monster takes over, we are back in J.J. Abrams territory along with (not-so-subtle) special effects. I'm not trying to say that he is not a good storyteller and has no eye for characters. It is just that I have the feeling that Spielberg, being a more sensitive director, would have handled the monster scenes and action sequences more delicately and maturely. There would have been none of J.J. Abrams' trademark but unnecessary lens flare effects and the explosions would have been more low-key. The film might have been less "cool" but as a whole, it would have been more coherent.

On the other hand, one must also acknowledge that the times have changed and maybe there is just no room anymore for Spielberg's kind of entertainment and his idealistic worldview. He may still be the better director but J.J. Abrams - the name says it all - is better suited for our cynical, technology-driven modern world. One proof of that is the portrayal of dysfunctional families in the film which remind us more of 2011 than 1979. In a "real" Spielberg movie, this would have been unthinkable. Nevertheless, it's the optimism and the aforementioned heart of the film that wins the battle against the special effects.

When two people quarrel, a third rejoices, right? In this case, it's Charles Kaznyk, the young "director" of the film-within-the-film the kids were making which is shown in its full splendor shortly after the credits start rolling. This short Super 8 film is the best thing about "Super 8" and makes you leave the movie theatre with a big smile. It's the film we all wished to make when we were kids. And it beautifully captures the fascination of movies and the excitement of movie making in just those few minutes. After watching it, quite a few kids will now want to become the next Steven Spielberg or J.J. Abrams...

7/10

Close encounter of the third kind: "Super 8"

La Ciénaga (Argentina 2001)

In most films, the characters always actively do something. As they teach you in screenwriting seminars, characters have to have a goal - and if they don't have one from the beginning, they need to find one throughout the film. Ideally, they should undergo a certain development.

The characters in Lucrecia Martel's debut feature "La Ciénaga" have nothing to do at all. They don't have an immediately identifiable purpose. They don't become "better" persons throughout the film. They just lie around in the bed or by the pool. They take a shower. They are bored. They do stupid things. They drink. A lot.

This may not make them instantly appealing but it does make you feel close to them, especially if the situations in the film are somehow familiar to you. It helps that director Lucrecia Martel films them very intimately, often showing only parts of their body and not cutting away from mundane things. Her almost documentarian approach makes you one of them even if you refuse to be. She also generates an atmosphere of decay, enhanced by the heat and humity of the setting which can almost be felt. The film is a meditation on the moral decline of the middle class which - especially in Latin America - has to live with the fact that their newly found but still endangered financial security is based on them taking advantage of the lower classes. This suppression is omnipresent in the film and the real reason the characters in the film are so miserable. They lack any real values. Or as Patrick Bateman would say, they simply are not there.

I like films where nothing much happens on the surface. Films that force you to look closely. Films where the characters don't say much but that still "say" a lot. Films where the tension doesn't come from the plot. Films where important things happen between the lines. Films that only come together in your own head.

"La Ciénaga" is such a film. I am perfectly aware that many people may not like it. It was even included in a list called "Worst World Flms" someone made on the Internet. I can understand that even if it only makes me laugh. It is a film only for people who appreciate this kind of realistic, subtle cinema. Some may find it dull and boring. Others - including myself - brilliant.

8/10

Dog Day Afternoon: Sofia Bertolotto, Martín Adjemián

Bridesmaids (USA 2011)

"Bridesmaids" received mostly positive reviews for being the first raunchy chick-flick and one that men can supposedly enjoy as well. Maybe the reason for this is that most movie critics are men but I am too and I defnitely can't share their excitement. After all, did the world really need "Sex in the City" gone wild or a female "Hangover"?

I have two main problems with the film: first of all, I don't want to see women (mis)behaving like that. It might sound awfully conservative and traditional but it is my firm opinion that women - and not only them - should always maintain a minimum level of grace and class. For me, none of this women would be potentially attractive - which is a major prerequisite for a romantic comedy to work. Secondly, the dirty jokes with their gross-out humour are the only original thing about the movie which is otherwise as predictable as usual and almost shockingly true to the rules of the genre it allegedly wants to reinvent. The same goes for the implausibilties and the celebration of material things. Which would be acceptable if the movie would at least be funny. But maybe it is my fault that I can't laugh about a woman publicly disposing her "lunch"...

The characters who all have some problems could have been potentially interesting but unfortunately none of them is explored on a deeper level. It is refreshing to see some new faces but Kristen Wiig, who also wrote the screenplay, is the only one that made a good impression on me. Her main character is at least likeable and the Saturday Night Live star shows some of her comedic talent. The touch of producer Judd Apatow is there occasionally but one can't help but thinking that he should stick what he knows best: the (love) problems of men. At least for me, "Bridesmaids" doesn't come close to the other comedies he produced in terms of entertainment value or believabilty.

If this is an accurate portrait of contemporary women, I will gladly stay single. And if films like this are an expression of the new feminism, I don't even want to know what's lying ahead...

5/10

Honestly, would you marry ANY of these women?