Der Filmsnob

The Artist (France 2011)

2012-02-06T06:26:00.000-08:00

JOE GILLIS:
You're Norma Desmond. You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big.
NORMA DESMOND:
I am big. It's the pictures that got small.

from Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard"

Next time you're watching a current movie on TV, turn off the volume and reduce saturation to the minimum. You are then watching a silent movie - but with the sole effect that the small, insignificant film will be even smaller and more insignificant. No magic anywhere. Without the dialogues, which in modern movies are mostly there to advance the storyline, there is hardly anything left that will keep you watching. In the early age of film the story was told primarily through images which was much more appropriate for the medium film. Back then, the actors were responsible for the emotions. Their overacting rich on gestures and facial expressions may have been far from reality but the audience got a great show in return. In those times, film was much closer to an original art form - and the actors contributed their part to it.

Such an "artist" is George Valentin, the main character in the silent film homage "The Artist". He is a big movie star who is suddenly - thanks to the introduction of the talkies - not in demand anymore which puts him into a severe crisis. Of all people, the young actress Peppy Miller, who he helped to fame, is the new talk of town and on the way to stardom. But what the washed up stars doesn't know that she is also one of his biggest remaining fans...

With his charming silent film, which adopts the style of the silents, French director Michel Hazanavicius celebrates Hollywood's golden era. This - and the high average age of the Academy voters - may be the primary reason the film is a strong contender at this year's Oscars. The film does not shy away from the dark sides of the dream factory but the director portrays them in a much less cynical fashion than Billy Wilder did 1950 in "Sunset Boulevard". He also manages to touch the audience with a simple, but lovely told story. The flair of the time is captured with some nice details as well. One has the feeling of actually watching an "old" movie. Even if the director does not strictly adhere to the aesthetics of the silent films which has been the subject of some criticism. But what is much more important anyway is that the film is emotionally authentic. To a large part this is due to the two wonderful main actors Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo who appear to come right out of Hollywood's heyday themselves.

"The Artist" is - if not much more - a great piece of entertainment that stylishly captures the magic and fascination cinema once exuded. And in a time of the downfall of cinema, "The Artist" is also a film about the downfall of cinema. Many film lovers will leave this exhilarating film with a bittersweet, nostalgic feeling. And with the assurance that Norma Desmond was right...

8/10

Silence is golden: Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo

Låt den rätte komma in (Sweden 2008)

2012-01-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

"Let the right one in" is a film full of contradictions. Tender yet brutal, beautiful yet gritty, realistic yet supernatural. Like many other great films, it is also not immediately classifiable in any common genre. Is it a vampire/horror movie, a slice of social realism or a coming-of-age film? Probably a little bit of everything but for me it is mostly a sublimely touching love story between two lonely outsiders. But if it is then it is a love story for people who don't like love stories just as it is a horror movie for people who don't like horror movies.

The film is directed with delicate empathy by Swedish director Tomas Alfredson. It seems implausible that he mostly worked for Swedish Television before this film since "Let the right one in" is so cinematic. There are some shocking scenes but the director is careful not to overdo it. To the dismay of some readers of the original novel, the hints on pedophilia that were much more present in the source, have been toned down. But since the novel's author John Ajvide Lindquist also wrote the screenplay, we can assume that he is perfectly fine with it. And the film proves that the open dealing with such dark subjects is not necessary anyway: under Alfredson's subtle direction, we can already sense that there is something wrong in a society that is constructed around the dominance of the alpha male.

The music in the film is extraordinarily beautiful - it is no coincidence that composer Johan Söderqvist is credited right after the director. It further enhances the atmosphere already created by the brilliant use of bleak winterly locations in and around Stockholm. The performances by the two young leads are great too. They both display a vulnerability while also hiding a latent violence under the innocent surface. It says a lot that the human boy and the vampire girl are essentially treated as equals. The female may - as always - be the stronger one but is the boy who acts out the violence by choice and not by destiny. In this world - the films seems to suggest - everyone needs to be a vampire to survive.

"Let the right one in" is a unique, extraordinary and incredibly touching film. It is a bittersweet tale of loneliness and alienation that transcends genre limitations to become something greater.

9/10

To die for: Lina Leandersson as "Eli"

The Ides of March (USA 2011)

2012-01-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

A film is not the sum of its elements. "The Ides of March" has a sharp script, great actors and is quite entertaining. However, it is still "only" a good movie, not a great one. The primary reason for this is that George Clooney's film about the US pre-elections does not really reveal anything new. Or did you not know before that politicians tend to have a weakness for pretty interns, young career types get it all while the "good" guys finish last? And most of us already sensed that politics is a dirty business...

Nevertheless "The Ides of March"is one of the better American films of recent times. It is a captivating behind-the-scenes look on politics. George Clooney, himself supporter of the Democratic party and president Obama, again shows his keen sense for the subject matter after "Good Night, and Good Luck". And it is remarkably how he manages his double identity between smiling movie star and deadly serious filmmaker without an image loss in either one of his personas.

As a director he may not be an artist but a solid craftsman but his experience as an actor certainly helps with the casting of his fellow actors. And "The Ides of March" is mostly an actor's film which reunites the most talented American actors of different generations (Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Ryan Gosling, Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, Philipp Seymour Hoffman). But contrary to Hollywood's common practice they have been cast here not just because of their famous names and talent but because they actually fit for their respective roles. And Clooney himself is so convincing as the candidate that some viewers might wish that he would run for office in reality. He probably would not do much worse than his former colleague Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"The Ides of March" also poses an interesting question: is it even possible to stay true to one's ideals in the battlefield of politics? If one considers the cynical final image of the film, the answer seems to be "no".

Because of this pessimistic message nobody will accuse Clooney of campaigning for the Democrats or any other political party. But this clinical approach may be the reason why the authentic film lacks emotions. The same goes for the mise-en-scène which mostly sticks to Hollywood conventions.

Sort of a conservative film from a liberal director.

8/10

In no one we trust

My films of the year 2011

2011-12-29T00:58:00.000-08:00

This year was once again marked by crises and an uncertain future. A crisis exists also in Hollywood cinema which produces less and less films that could be called "quality entertainment". It is significant that both the Oscar winner ("The Kings's Speech") and the most successful film of the year ("Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2") were British productions. Many of the important films too were (directly or indirectly) about the end of the world and made clear that we will - should we continue like before - we will inevitably head towards a disaster. Nevertheless there were also some smaller, human films that gave us something we can really need in times like these: hope.

Here are my personal top 10 of the year 2011:

1. Le gamin au vélo (Belgium, Jean Pierre & Luc Dardenne)
2. Le Havre (France, Aki Kaurismaki)
3. Melancholia (Denmark, Lars von Trier)
4. Play (Sweden, Ruben Ostlund)
5. Die Vaterlosen (Austria, Marie Kreutzer)
6. Midnight in Paris (USA/France, Woody Allen)
7. Habemus Papam (Italy, Nanni Moretti)
8. Faust (Russia, Aleksandr Sokurow)
9. The Kids are all right (USA, Lisa Cholodenko)
10. Nostalgia de la luz (Chile, Patricio Guzmán)

There were some interesting films such as "The Turin House", "A Separation" or "The Artist" that I was unable to see.

My film of the year 2011: "Le gamin au vélo"

American Madness (USA 1932)

2011-12-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

Where is Frank Capra when we need him?

His 1932 film about the 1929 economy crises should be mandatory viewing for all bankers and economists out there. It tells - naturally in a very simplified version - the story of a sincere bank director who refuses to sell out his financially stricken bank to the sharks. His loans are based on trust and not on credit standing and he is eventually rewarded for his stubborn behavior. One might argue that real life is not a Capra movie and any bank clerk giving out loans based on feelings would be immediately fired but one thing is for sure: the main problem we have in the current economical crises is precisely the lack of trust that the common people have against the authorities. This is what the politicians and bank managers need to earn back first before there can be a lasting recovery of the economy. In 1932, Frank Capra's film certainly contributed to it...

Frank Capra came in at the last minute to direct this film but now no one else seems to be imaginable on the director's chair. It would become the first in a series of very successful "Capraesque" films that promote the positive effects of individual acts of courage.

Films rarely can change the world but their influence on the world and its individuals should not be underestimated. After watching a Frank Capra, it is impossible not wanting to become a better person...

8/10

Show me the money!

The Lion King (USA 1994)

2011-12-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't go so far to say that "The Lion King" is the best Disney film - there are certainly more artistic and important ones - but it is my best Disney film. The primary reason for this may be the fact that I saw it for the first time when I was still a kid and just discovering my love for the movies. And as we all know, the films we first saw as kids are the ones that touch as the most. But judging as objective as possible now almost 20 years later, I still regard it as Disney's last classically animated masterpiece before the digital revolution took over.

The story may be simple but it is great, the characters one-dimensional but lovely and the music may please mainstream taste but is still touching. It's very entertaining to be sure but it is also an inspiring film - more inspiring even than most "real" movies. I would also argue that the film has a serious message that is really important. We now live in a society where people shy away from responsibility and nobody wants to grow up anymore. Young people all over the world have unconsciously adopted the "Hakuna Matata" mantra and live a life of carefree pleasures. And not all of them find the way back eventually the way that Simba does in the film. A lot of potential is wasted because people just don't care enough or simply choose the easy way. As a consequence, the people who end up in the power positions are not always those who would deserve them.

Traditions, codes of conducts and growing-up rituals may be values that sound old-fashioned nowadays but as "The Lion King" teaches us, they are crucial for the "circle of life" to stay in balance.

9/10

This review refers to the original version of the film and not the recent and absolutely superfluous theatrical 3D re-release of the film.

With great power comes great responsibility

Il posto (Italy 1961)

2011-11-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

Why are there not more films about work life? Isn't this where people spend the majority of their time? Sure, there are TV shows like "Mad Men" and "The Office" but there haven't been a lot of feature films about the job market and office life, let alone good ones. Mostly, work is treated as a circumstance but not as a main subject.

One of the best films about work is Ermanno Olmi's touching film "Il posto" which celebrates its 50 year anniversary this year. The details (typewriters, anyone?) notwithstanding, the film remains quite relevant today. Companies are shown as dehumanizing entities and young people are somehow exploited by the older generation. The only thing that is missing is an "Occupy Wall Street" movement. The film also shows work in a larger context as the loss of innocence. In this regard, the film certainly has aged. Back then, young people started their first jobs much earlier, often at the age of 15. They went directly from childhood to adulthood and were forced to grow up quickly. Some people - especially the generation which experienced it - would probably argue that this is a good thing but the film suggests that while a steady job offers security, it also takes away freedom and somehow brakes your free will. The small love story is vital to the film: it shows - as the director himself described it - the rare, precious opportunities for finding love among the colorless, grey days which are the majority in anyone's life. Love, not work, the film seems to say, is what life is ultimately about.

Ermanno Olmi's autobiographical film is filmed in a simple, straightforward way that does without the visual splendor Italian cinema was known for at the time. Nor is it - given its subject - particularly exciting or glamourous. Why may be one reason why the director is not as well known as such flamboyant peers as Visconti, Fellini and Antonioni. In the tradition of neoralism - albeit not quite as radical and raw - he focuses on authenticity and the common people which those more famous Italian directors of the time mostly neglected.

8/10

His body is at work but his mind isn't

The Social Network (USA 2010)

2011-11-11T02:15:00.000-08:00

"The Social Network" was my film of the year 2010 - I haven't made up my mind about 2011 just yet - so I decided to re-watch it recently to see if it is still as exhilarating now that the hype about the film - and facebook itself - has cooled off a little. To get straight to the point: yes, it is, and it always will be. It is a fascinating portrait of a generation and as such will stand the test of time. It is one of the few films that can instantly be called a modern classic.

When I first read about the project (on the web, where else?) I was rather skeptical. By the way, as skeptical as when I - suggested by a friend - first registered on this then relatively unknown social networking platform in the year of 2005. The idea of retelling one of the biggest success stories of recent business history after such a short term and of portraying the person of founder Mark Zuckerberg as a villain seemed problematic to me. And a middle-aged director like David Fincher who previously made mostly genre films didn't seem to me as the right guy to "get" what this generation was all about. It was clear from the very beginning that - as in many other biopics - reality would be misrepresented and a false image of the still living persons would be created. Above all, I asked myself whether the genesis of an Internet company could make for an interesting subject for a movie.

The fact that the final product works so well and is so much more than just a movie about facebook, has mostly two reasons: first of all, the brilliant script of Aaron Sorkin which - along with its eternal themes of class war and betrayal - indeed delivers gripping material for a film. Good films usually have one or two memorable scenes but "The Social Network" is a succession of great scenes. Even if the film is distinctly modern and so close to the attitude the current generation has to life, the underlying story is a classical drama that would be equally suitable for a Shakespeare play. Most characters are surprisingly complex and ambivalent - even Zuckerberg is not a real bad guy but also far from a hero. Despite all his newly achieved fame and fortune, he still fails to impress his ex-girlfriend or to enter the social class in which his fellow students at Harvard were born into.

The other reason for the success of the film is director David Fincher whose visually inventive direction makes the film enthralling despite the somewhat serious content - about half of the film consists of the various trials Zuckerberg is facing. He deserves credit that the film has such a strong connection to the "nowness of now" - as another critic put it. There has rarely been a film recently that captures the Zeitgeist as vividly and that I myself experienced as intensely - probably also because I was able to identify with the characters in the film in many ways.

"The Social Network" is not just a film about a phenomenal success story but a film about America and the world, about an individual and about all of us. In a few decades it will be regarded representative for our era in a way that "Wall Street" was for the 80s. With the main lesson to learn here that it is all about being cool. Times really have changed but greed still seems to be good. Only the "Gordon Gekkos" of our time are now called Sean Parker and Mark Zuckerberg...

9/10

The accidental billionaires

La solitudine dei numeri primi (Italy 2010)

2011-11-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

The recent title story of a local news magazine was "The end of love - feelings in times of personal liberty". This subject of being incapable of loving and the downside of individual freedom, which is so typical of our modern age, is also at the core of Saverio Costanzo's film "La solitudine dei numeri primi" which is based on Paolo Giordano's bestselling novel. Even if the love in the film, strictly speaking, doesn't really catch fire to begin with. At the time of the somehow conciliatory ending, resignation has already taken over killing off any hope that may have been there somewhere.

The pseudo-cryptic title already gives an idea about the state of mind of the characters but what may still be compelling in the book (which I haven't read), turns out to be rather tedious in the film. The story stretches over three decades and is told as a kind of mystery thriller. There is an event in the childhood of both main characters that will change their lives forever. Mutually attracted, they get closer again and again, but they never manage to really come together. The problem of the film is that it mostly lacks both tension and emotions. There is an oppressive atmosphere right from the beginning that does reflect the inner life and the increasing isolation of the protagonists quite well. But unfortunately, this state of inner emptiness transmits to their outside so it is quite difficult to feel any sympathy for the characters. After a while, you stop caring whether they end up together or not.

It's a shame because there would have been some pre-conditions for a thrilling movie experience: a bestseller as a template, a talented director ("Private" - the feature debut by Saverio Costanzo - won several awards) and a quite appropriately chosen cast which includes such fine actresses as Isabella Rossellini in supporting roles. But ultimately "La solitudine dei numeri primi" shares the fate of many well-produced, but ultimately soulless literary adaptations. Quality cinema? Yes, but without a heart. There are only a few moments that show the potential the film could have head. The film offers some visual pleasures even if Costanzo's kicks over the traces with his directorial ideas from time to time. This is mainly due to the unnecessary stylization and the sometimes annoying use of music in the film.

To conclude, let us hope that the condition of love in the 21st century is not as bad as films like this suggest. It remains very doubtful, however, whether this film is able to rescue any moviegoers from their own lethargy...

7/10

Lonely together: Luca Marinelli, Alba Rohrwacher

A Dangerous Method (UK 2011)

2011-10-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

"A Dangerous Method" has been called David Cronenberg's most conventional film so far. And indeed, elegant settings, lush cinematography, meticulously designed period costumes and an all-star cast are not what you usually expect from the director of such idiosyncratic films as "Videodrome", "Naked Lunch" and "Crash". But even if it lacks his signature morbid style, "A Dangerous Method" is still very much a Cronenberg film. Only this time, his flair for dark obsessions are firmly hidden beneath a polished surface. However, it does not take long for them to come out in his adaptation of the true story about the relationships between psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung and their patient, the young Sabina Spielrein who would later herself become one of the first female psychoanalysts.

But nevertheless something is lacking in a film that tries too hard to be perfect - or please the Academy Award voters. It may sound implausible but the Oscar may indeed have been in the mind of both David Cronenberg (who never won one) and producer Jeremy Thomas (whose win for "The Last Emperor" lies back 23 years). Even the trailer for the film looks trimmed for it. And while "A Dangerous Method" is a well-made, intelligent film it never really elevates beyond quality entertainment. Despite all the nice period details, it also never feels truly authentic. Partly this is due to the casting where the major flaw of the film is to be found in the person of Keira Knightley. Starting with her fake Russian accent and her whole appearance, she feels wrong for the role. Especially in the beginning, her interpretation of the character's hysteria is anything but subtle. What's even more problematic is the fact that she should evolve as the strong independent woman by the end of the film who stands up against the two dominant male figures. But comparing her performance to the ones of such fine actors as Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen, it is inevitable that she comes off as the weak link.

"A Dangerous Method" is still a welcome rarity in the territory of mainstream cinema in the sense that it does challenge the audience intellectually. Its tension derives from words, not action. But the words here are not enough to make the film great. As a matter of fact, for a film based on a stage play called "The Talking Cure" about two of the most important psychoanalysts, "A Dangerous Method" has surprisingly little to say...

7/10

(Viennale)

Coffee and cigars

Le gamin au vélo (Belgium 2011)

2011-10-30T02:04:00.000-07:00

Among the films in this year's Cannes competition, there were two that shared the spotlight: Terrence Malick's ambitious epic "The Tree of Life" which eventually won the legendary director the Palme d'Or and Lars von Trier's "Melancholia", not least thanks to its controversial press conference.

But there was at least one other film that would have deserved more media attention not for the über-ego of its director but because of the quality of the actual film. And if I would have to choose one film, among all the strong competitors, it would have to be "Le gamin au vélo" by the Dardenne brothers. It is one of their best films so far which almost automatically makes it one of the best films of the year. The reason they "only" won the Grand Prize of the jury in Cannes was probably because they already received the Palme d'Or twice for films similar to this one. But even if there is the feeling that they have made this kind of film before, "Le gamin au vélo" is still a revelation.

A simple tale of a young abandoned child, it is authentic and rough, but also sincere, tender and touching. It is the kind of film that no one makes as good as the Dardennes. The performances are great and even even a big name star like Cécile De France blends seemlessly into the ensemble. I didn't even realize it was her until about 30 minutes into the film. A piano concerto by Beethoven is used occasionally during the film in key moments. Some may find such dramatization - which is somehow atypical for the Dardennes - unnecessary but it worked perfectly for me and even made me cry. Even the Dardennes, however subtly, seem to have their tricks to create emotions...

Le gamin au vélo is a simple yet flawless film. It is the best film about a father, a son and a bicycle since "Bicycle Thieves". In a running time of just 87 minutes, it has everything that cinema needs to have. Nothing more, nothing less.

9/10

(Viennale)

Thomas Doret and Cécile De France in "Le gamin au vélo"

Melancholia (Denmark 2011)

2011-10-25T01:40:00.000-07:00

"Melancholy is not negative, it is a positive feeling. It's not about depression. It's a feeling of longing." - Ville Valo

If Lars von Trier's verbal derailments in Cannes would have been part of a publicity campaign, it would have been a brilliant one. A new Lars von Trier film is already an event that the whole film world is awaiting about but now it has become a film that the whole world is talking about. But nevertheless it still proves a difficult film to market since it can not be easily categorized due to its status as an "Arthouse blockbuster" somewhere between "Festen" and "Armageddon".

Kirsten Dunst's character in the film works in advertising and has to come up with a tagline in the course of the film. Which somehow seems ironic since there has rarely been a tagline that better described a film than the one for "Melancholia" which is simply called "a beautiful movie about the end of the world". This absolutely gets to the point because "Melancholia" is - like the word itself - above all beautiful, gorgeous, mesmerizing. Its excessive stylization is a million miles away from the unfiltered purity of the Dogma 95 films. The first part of the film may still recall "Festen" but instead of the shaky handheld video camera we now get gracefully composed shots set to the music of Wagner. No wonder that even Lars von Trier complains that the film has turned out too beautiful. Apparently he didn't control his cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro enough because of his own depression during the shooting of the film.

But what could be even less expected than the visual feast from a) Lars von Trier and b) a pessimistic film about depression and the apocalypse is how enjoyable the film is in its own kind of way. Which is also the film's main problem because it can not really taken seriously. Beneath all the splendor there is surprisingly little substance left. Even the great cast, above all Kirsten Dunst in her best performance ever, can only add a certain depth to what is, if judged objectively, a rather ridiculous movie.

But cinema is not mathematics, it is about emotions rather than sense. "Melancholia" may be mostly another ego project from Lars von Trier and his ultimate guilty pleasure but it is nevertheless an enormously cinematic experience.

8/10

(Viennale)

Sadness is a blessing: Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg

The Color Wheel (USA 2011)

2011-10-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

There are films that we love even though we know that they're flawed. For me, such a film is Alex Ross Perry's "The Color Wheel", the kind of American independent film that truly deserves to be called "independent". I recently discovered it at the Viennale where it was the film that gave me the most pleasure.

I love it because it is called "The Color Wheel" but is actually a black and white film. I love it because it has the look of 16mm even though it was shot digitally. I love it because the main actress looks like Anna Karina in Godard's films. I love it because it has a lot of dialogue and awkward situations. I love it because I can somehow relate to the characters. I love it because of its nostalgic credits. I love it because of the immoral ending. I love it because it is not perfect.

I love it.

7/10

(Viennale)

Mutual appreciation: "The Color Wheel"

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai de Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Belgium 1975)

2011-10-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

"There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins. And the cardinal sin is dullness."Frank Capra

I highly doubt that Frank Capra ever saw Chantal Akerman's "Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai de Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles". He might not have liked it since it embodies values exactly opposite to the ones his own cinema stood for. Capra's sentimental films usually had a charming male hero, fast-paced scenes with lots of dialogue and a happy ending full of optimism. "Jeanne Dielman" on the other hand has a rather boring female main character, painfully long scenes with almost no dialogue and action and an ending that is anything but optimistic. So Capra is for people who see film as entertainment and whereas Akerman is purely for feminists and serious film fans who dress all in black and loathe capitalism. And even for them, "Jeanne Dielman" may be more a "cultural vegetable" rather than a film they actually enjoy. So that's it, right? Why discuss the matter any further?

Because luckily, things are not that simple. There is no cinema that is, by itself, better than the other. There is only cinema. But there are certainly good and bad directors. Frank Capra and Chantal Akerman are both good directors, albeit for different reasons. It is, in fact, quite possible to appreciate both of them as I myself do. I would even go so far as to call them the "ying and yang of cinema". We are complex human beings and we need them both.

As far as "Jeanne Dielman" is concerned, it is certainly a demanding film - if not a particularly difficult or inaccessible one. Watching the main character, a prostitute working from her own apartment, peeling potatoes and washing up for almost four hours can be nerve-wrecking. But the great thing about the film is that after a while, after you get used to it, you start noticing the small details and the visual delights of the cinematography. Like the recurring symmetrical compositions and the ubiquituous use of the colours brown and green.

Most films shy away from daily routine actions. Even those that apparently aim for realism do not show what people actually do most of the time. Mundane, ordinary things that are quite boring but nevertheless make out large portions of our lives. "Jeanne Dielman" is a film that dares to focus on these mundane things. The film could indeed be called dull but it needs to be. Dullness is its main point and the reason the provocative ending is so effective.

My viewing advice is: watch it at home and make a short pause after every "day" (the film tells - in full detail - three consecutive days in Jeanne Dielman's life). Do some grunt work in between to get in the mood. And I promise you that you will, by the end of the film, feel what it must be like to actually be the main character. Which is not something that is likely to happen when you're watching a Capra film...

The Vienna Film Festival "Viennale" is currently devoting a retrospective to Chantal Akerman.

9/10

"The Housewife": Delphine Seyrig as Jeanne Dielman

La piel que habito (Spain 2011)

2011-10-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

It often happens in the careers of great directors that once they have received awards and reached their peaks, they arrive at a point where they struggle to get back to that level. Often these later works feel forced despite technical mastery. Judging from his last two films, Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar seems to have reached that point and lost some of the spirit that made him a household name on the art film circuit.

Even if his latest film "La piel que habito" still bears his signature style as well as familiar topics and situations. But as with "Los abrazos rotos", he fails to make the film emotionally engaging. The story of a plastic surgeon that starts experimenting with skin grafting after the death of his wife is well constructed but the characters remain shallow. The film also shifts too much between serious drama, thriller and horror. Almodóvar's fondness for the eccentric - some would say the perverse - is once again on display. His hardcore fans might like it, other viewers will find it distasteful. But then, this seeming contraction between beautiful images and disturbing content has always been a trademark of Almodóvar's cinema and a large part of its fascination.

"La piel que habito" is - despite the nods to Georges Franju - a unique work from a unique director but it has the same problem that fake skin has: it might look nice but it is just not the real thing.

6/10

Eyes without a face: "The Skin I live in"

Le cercle rouge (France 1970)

2011-10-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

In an interview Jean-Pierre Melville gave in 1971, he predicted that all cinemas would vanish in 50 years because of television and believed that his films would probably age terribly. His only hope was that his work was important enough so that he would at least be mentioned in film encyclopedias.

Well, there are still 10 years to go but chances are his predictions won't come true. Cinema may not be flourishing and is going through some radical changes but it is still alive and well. Melville, despite still being a rather underrated director, has earned himself an important place in film history and an ever-growing fanbase. And as far as his films are concerned, they have aged beautifully. With their existential themes and Melville's rigourous focus on style rather than substance, they fit quite well in our superficial modern world.

The story of "Le Cercle Rouge" - his biggest success - is a rather familiar one and quickly told. Two ex-cons reunite for one last coup but after successfully executing the heist, are betrayed and hunted down by an obsessed cop. A classical tale of male friendships and loyalty. But what the film clearly proves that filmmaking is not about what to tell but how. And there few filmmakers that know how to better employ the means of filmmaking. First of all, he has patience and takes time to create an atmosphere. Autumnal landscapes with lots of blues, greys and browns and a Paris that is even more elegant and cool than the real city. Trenchcoats, hats and American cars. Rarely any women. In short, the world according to Jean-Pierre Melville. In addition, he orchestrates some brilliant moments that are further evidence that we are in the hands of a true master of cinema. The long, dialogue-free heist sequence doesn't have to hide from the various films Melville draw his inspirations from. But best of all - what makes the film truly great instead of just very good - are the the small, subtle details that only perfectionists like Melville pay attention to.

The actors are fine too and - with the exception of Gian Maria Volonté who Melville didn't get along with - embody the classical French bourgeoise gentleman that Melville himself was. Henri Decae's cinematogrophy is superb and the jazzy score does what good film music should do: enhance the mood rather than create it. But overall - as the initials "JPM" that appear in a key scene suggest - there is never any doubt that this is Melville's show.

I predict that it will still be watched by film conaisseurs in 50 years.

And I hope there will be some cinemas left then...

9/10

Men at work: Yves Montand, Gian Maria Volonté and Alain Delon

Le diable probablement (France 1977)

2011-10-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

"Le diable probablement" or "The devil, probably" - is one of my all time favourite film titles. It is enigmatic but also getting very much to the point once you hear it spoken out casually in a scene of the film. It also sums up the film perfectly without giving anything away.

We as humans watch the world slowly but steadily falling apart and while we are conscious of that fact, we seem to be unable to do something against it. Most of us are not bad people but we have resigned inwardly in the face of the sheer amount of social injustice and the irrevocable destruction of our environment. But we don't take any responsibilty, we always blame someone else. And we might even be better off for it: if we really would face our failures we might end up like the main character in the film.

Bresson made the film in the late 70s which in a not-so-distant future will be called the time when the world finally got of balance. Unlimited consumption, capitalism and industrialization took over while nature became increasingly threatened. The growth of the world's population got out of control while CO2 emmission were starting to skyrocket. The sad thing is that what was only suggested back then has gotten much worse in the meanwhile. Bresson's bleak vision now seems shockingly real - at least if you look as closely as he does.

The young people in the film seem to be the only ones that still care about the future despite their apparent lack of feelings. Some still try to fight for a better world while others just can't handle it anymore. Bresson's spare style and his preference of "non actors" has rarely been more appropriate than here. In a world without values, there is hardly any room left for emotions either. The young people today seem to be different than this generation. Now the prevailing attitude is "the world is going to hell so we might just as well have some fun." Maybe because there is no more Bresson to remind us that maybe we shouldn't...

I'm usually an optimistic person and if my review seems to be overly negative then this is only due to the strong impact the film had on me. I can't help feeling otherwise after watching this devastating film. From a cinematic point of view, it may not be the best film in Bresson's ouevre but it is still close to a masterpiece. And it certainly gives me the shivers.

8/10

Youth without Youth: "Le diable probablement"

Le Quattro Volte (Italy 2010)

2011-10-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

"Le Quattro Volte" was among the films mentioned in a recent New York Times article refering to critically appraised but supposedly boring contemplative dramas as "cultural vegetables". Films that you don't really want to see but that you feel you have to because of their cultural value.

My personal view on this subject is that vegetables can taste just as good as anything else if you prepare them right and should make out a large portion of your diet. Which doesn't mean that there shouldn't be some room for meat and sweets too if you feel like it. You shouldn't force yourself to eat something you don't want to just because it's healthy - but it can't hurt trying out something new from time to time. In cinematic terms, I also believe that "cultural vegetables" like "Le Quattro Volte" can indeed enrich you culturally and stimulate your thoughts. That is, if there's an able "chef" on the director's chair and the ingredients are rights. And that's certainly the case here even though the meal may not appeal to everyone's taste.

"Le Quattro Volte" is an extraordinary film and a welcome diversion to the increasing uniformity of Arthouse films: an austere and quiet meditation on the last days of an old shepherd in a secluded mediaval village without a conventional narrative and without any dialogue. It is a deceptively simple film that shows a world where there is still a natural balance between man, animals and nature. Just the right film for our hectic age, in my opinion. The film will certainly be a challenge to the Internet generation and their limited attention spans. I don't want to deny that you have to be in the right mood to really get into the film but if you are willing to let go and open up your mind, the film will be an immensely rewarding experience.

"Le Quattro Volte" is the perfect film if you are - like myself - sick of the McDonaldisation of cinema.

8/10

Goats who stare at men

Atmen (Austria 2011)

2011-09-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

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

Hat jeder gute Schauspieler auch das Zeug zu einem guten Regisseur?

Wohl kaum. In der Filmgeschichte gibt es zahlreiche Beispiele von Regie-Versuchen anerkannter Schauspieler aus denen lediglich Akte der Selbstbeweihräucherung wurden. Auch wenn die Stars ihr übergroßes Ego zurücknahmen und auf ihren Auftritt vor der Kamera verzichteten, entstanden bei diesen Ausflügen ins Regiefach nur selten eigenständige künstlerische Werke. Meisterwerke wie „Die Nacht des Jägers“, der einzige Film bei dem Schauspiellegende Charles Laughton Regie führte, sind ohnehin Ausnahmeerscheinungen.

Nun, Karl Markovics ist zwar nicht Charles Laughton aber er liefert mit seinem unaufdringlichen Film „Atmen“ dennoch ein sehr überzeugendes Regiedebüt ab. Auch wenn die Einflüsse der jüngeren österreichischen Filmgeschichte und auch des britischen „social realism“ Genres deutlich spürbar sind, so muss er sich mit seinem Film vor den etablierten Regisseuren definitiv nicht verstecken. Und im Gegensatz zu den Vorbildern gibt es auch eine (wenn auch wohldosierte) Portion morbiden Humors. An ein Debütfilm erinnert der souverän inszenierte Film in keinster Weise. Maßgeblichen Anteil daran hat Kamermann Martin Gschlacht, der wie schon zuvor bei „Revanche“ und „Women without Men“ dem Film seinen Stempel aufdrückt und seinen weniger erfahrenen Regisseur unterstützt. Seine großartigen Kompositionen tragen viel zur Atmosphäre des Films bei der ohnehin mehr in Bildern als in Worten erzählt wird. Dennoch sind diese oft symbolträchtigen Einstellungen nie Selbstzweck, sondern stets der Geschichte untergeordnet.

Das von Markovics selbst verfasste Drehbuch kann aber ebenfalls überzeugen. Ein jugendlicher, im Waisenhaus aufgewachsener Straftäter nimmt nach seiner Haftentlassung eine Stelle bei einem Bestattungsunternehmen an. In seiner Lethargie ist er zunächst nicht viel mehr als ein Toter unter den Toten bis er bei seiner Arbeit eine Entdeckung macht die ihn dazu bringt, nach seiner Mutter zu suchen. Doch es scheint niemand zu geben der sich ernsthaft für ihn interessiert. Dass wieder einmal die äußeren Umstände als Begründung für eine Gewalttat herhalten müssen mag zwar dem gängigen Klischeebild entsprechen, dennoch bleibt die Geschichte – nicht zuletzt aufgrund der Aussparung gewalttätiger oder allzu emotionaler Szenen - stets glaubhaft.

Auch bei der Besetzung beweist Markovics Gespür, wohl vor allem aufgrund seiner eigenen Erfahrung als Schauspieler. Der 17jährige Laiendarsteller Thomas Schubert ist großartig und vermittelt überzeugend eine latente Gewaltbereitschaft unter den untedrückten Gefühlen seiner Figur. Man hat Mitleid mit ihm und zugleich fürchtet man sich vor einem möglichen erneuten Ausbruch seiner aufgestauten Aggressionen. Auch die Nebenrollen sind gut besetzt, Georg Friedrich etwa überzeugt auch in der x-ten Variation seiner gewohnten Rolle.

Der in Cannes und Sarajevo ausgezeichnete Film ist vor allem deshalb so gelungen weil sein Regisseur nicht tut was Schauspieler (und auch so manche Regiekollegen) normalerweise machen: sich in den Mittelpunkt stellen.

8/10

Im Angesicht des Todes: Thomas Schubert als Roman

The Tree of Life (USA 2011)

2011-09-25T06:27:00.000-07:00

The American filmmaker Terrence Malick is an almost mythical figure in the international film scene. Often referred to as a poet, the director, screenwriter and producer rarely makes films but if he does, the resulting works are almost always extraordinary. His new epic "The Tree of Life" received the Palme d'Or in Cannes this year despite strong competition. The somehow abashed justification from Jury President Robert de Niro was: "it had the size, the importance, the intention, whatever you want to call it, that seemed to fit the prize." To be sure, the size, the importance and Malick's intention can't be denied. But this raises the question whether the will alone to make a big and important film is enough to win the most highly regarded international film prize.

Certainly "The Tree of Life" is filmmaking at the highest stage. Yet there is the feeling that it is the effort of an aging great director eagerly wanting to make his definitive masterpiece. Malick mostly does not follow a classic narrative structure, but the film is overloaded with topics spanning from the patriarchy still prevailing at the time the film is set (the 50s) to the current economic crisis. Likewise, there are a multitude of religious symbols and allusions. The relationships do not always reveal themselves - at least for that part of the audience that does not have the acquired wisdom of the director who has studied philosophy at Harvard and Oxford. It therefore depends on your point of view whether you think Malick is a genius or just pretentious.

The visuals of the film are as ambitious as the content. But as breathtaking as the images are, they also seem artificial sometimes which may be due to digital effects. This is quite a paradox for a film that - like all the films of Terrence Malick - celebrates natural beauty. The soundtrack is very emotional and seems to compensate for the suppressed feelings of the protagonists. The actors are quite convincing, especially Brad Pritt as the strict father and Jessica Chastain as his more emotional wife.

One must be grateful that there are still filmmakers like Terrence Malick and films like "The Tree of Life." Films that deliberately break the rules and refuse to use well-tried narrative patterns. Films that have the potential to elevate the viewer to another level of consciousness. One such film was Stanley Kubrick's "2001" which was then equally misunderstood by many critics. Not least because of the metaphysical level and the expressionistic animated sequences (which are, as in "2001", by Douglas Trumbull) a comparison is inevitable. But there is one significant difference between the two films: Kubrick's film is directed with confident ease while Malick's direction seems forced.

Open-minded moviegoers will still be able to find a lot in the film, which is essentially an elegiac farewell to the American dream. People exepecting the new Brad Pitt film will most likely be disappointed. Without a doubt, "The Tree of Life" is a must-see film. If only for being capable of going back to somewhat less weighty films with a good conscience...

7/10

The quintessential "Terrence Malick shot"

Stand by Me (USA 1986)

2011-09-25T02:28:00.000-07:00

"I never had better friends than the friends I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"

When I saw "Stand by Me" for the first time in the 90s, I was a young kid myself, not much older than the characters in the film but still growing up, discovering the world and my passion for cinema. Growing up in a rural area, my life was very similar to the ones of the boys back then. The film is set in 1959 but it is actually much closer to my experiences than to the ones of the Internet generation. Together with my friends, we often went to the woods to smoke secretly or just to have fun and talks about the things we couldn't or didn't want to share with the adults. The woods were a perfect place for that, a fascinating world within the world. We even had built a tree house which at least partially survived to this day. I didn't realize back then of course but I do now how very true the above quote from the film is. The film is my lost innocence captured on celluloid. And judging from the comments and reviews on various blogs and Internet sites, I am not the only one who sees it that way...

The universal nature of the film is also the main reason why it works so well. Not only for the male audience - it rates higher among females on IMDb - does it touch something in every one of us and makes brilliant use of one thing that movies do so well: connecting us with others and the world and giving us the feeling that we are not alone. The fact that the movie is superbly told (based on a great short story by Stephen King, a hero of my adolescence) as well as beautifully shot and acted only enforces that. The disappearance of River Phoenix at the end of the film is especially heartbraking given the circumstances he later left our world. Watching his great performance painfully reminds you what an extraordinary actor he would have become.

Looking at "Stand by Me" now 25 years later the film is also a portrait of an innocent generation. In a world without constant without Internet and video games, you still had to be actively looking in order to find something remotely exciting instead of having the kicks delivered comfortably to your living room. Kids were still in contact with nature back than and playing outside. New experiences were made in a frequency that still gave you time to process them. I seriously doubt that today's kids would be that excited about finding a body - they have seen too many of them on TV already.

But even they will sooner or later be able to enjoy "Stand by Me". It is a film that transcends generations and a film that will never come of age. Many bigger and seemingly more important movies from the 80s are now forgotten but "Stand by Me" - in all its authentic simplicity - will never be.

8/10

The life-changing moment in "Stand by Me"

Caro Diario (Italy 1993)

2011-09-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

Suppose you're a director with no money and no ideas for a new film? Why not make a film about your own life with you as the protagonist? It can't possibly be that boring, right?

This situation has led to some painful exercises in ego boosting and the mini genre of the autobiographical diary film only occasionally resulted in a cinematic landmark like "David Holzman's Diary". More often than not, these films turned out to be nothing more than just vanity projects.

Nanni Moretti, however, is not vain. Instead he is authentic and has a sincere interest in people and the world around him. He notices things that other people don't see which is a major quality for a director to have. His 1993 film "Caro Diario" for which he won the award for best director in Cannes, is straightforward and deceptively simple. By showing himself in various situations of his life he gradually reveals some universal truths. Nothing at all is stylized and even though the film is certainly scripted, everything feels real.

The film consists of three episodes. The first (and best) one starts off rather light and becomes the saddest and most moving of the three. The third one reverses this dramaturgy by casually introducing a serious subject only to become increasingly comic. It ends with a wonderfully ironic twist that - like the whole film - celebrates the simple things in life. The middle episode may be the least sophisticated one but is nevertheless quite entertaining and equally genuine.

"Caro Diario" was Nanni Moretti's breakthrough film. He is now undoubtly one of the most important European directors but despite him being a regular at the major film festivals, his popularity outside of his home country is still limited. Maybe because he doesn't provoke with nazi statements at press conferences, maybe because of the nature of his cinema.

An unpretentious cinema that carries humanism in its heart and is all the more precious for it.

8/10

On the road of life: Nanni Moretti

Midnight in Paris (USA 2011)

2011-09-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

"His talent was as natural as the pattern that was made by the dust on a butterfly's wings."

This quote from Ernest Hemingway's Paris memoirs "A Moveable Feast" refers to another great American author, F. Scott Fitzgerald. But it could just as well be applied to the comedic talent of one of the great film authors of our time, Woody Allen. Hemingway's book is also the main reference point for his latest film "Midnight in Paris", in particular the scenes set in the 1920s. The butterfly comparison could also be used for the film itself. It is just as light, beautiful and bursting with life and its main character has the same urge for freedom and self-actualization.

The film starts with a picture postcard montage of Paris images - set to his trademark jazzy score - that will already put off the more cynical viewers who can't bear such an idealized portrait of a city that has gang riots going on in its suburbs. But unless you're willing to indulge in such fantasies, you won't be able to enjoy "Midnight in Paris". Pretty soon the main character, a dreamy Hollywood screenwriter on vacation with his snobby fiancée, will travel back in time to the era of his dreams, the 1920s, where he will meet such legendary artists as - besides Hemingway and the Fitzgeralds - Cole Porter, T.S. Eliot, Pablo Picasso and Luis Bunuel. To the latter one, in one of many delightful references, he even suggests the idea for a film Bunuel would eventually make in 1962. Such moments of exuberant imagination may be too much for some viewers. But maybe those people should consider stop going to the movies then because movies are, after all, made both by and for dreamers...

At least for people like myself "Midnight in Paris" is a wish-fulfillment-fantasy which is why I can't hardly be objective about the film and its apparent lack of a "deeper meaning" that some critics in Cannes complained about. I certainly know how Owen Wilson's character feels like when he is walking the streets of Paris at night. One of the best moments of my life happened in the fall of 2002 in a city that rivals Paris in beauty: Rome. We were out with some friends from my student exchange program having a great time after a delicious dinner in a wonderful trattoria when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, heavy rainfall was setting in. Did that do any harm to our joyful mood? Absolutely not. We sought shelter in an old alley where we watched the raindrops falling on the centuries-old cobblestones. We even stopped talking. It was great. So yes, I believe that magic exists - especially in cities like Paris or Rome. We only have to be open enough to find it...

The other thought in the film that is not entirely unfamiliar to me is the nostalgic feeling of being born in the wrong time. The only difference to Woody Allen is that - would it be my screenplay - I would not travel back to the 20s but to the Paris of the early 60s to meet Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut and the other legends of the then flourishing Nouvelle Vague. I would probably sitting in a sidewalk café on the Left Bank right now smoking a cigarette and - wait a second? - writing a review to a film I have seen recently at the Cinémathèque...

Woody Allen has not been taken seriously anymore recently but anyone who - at that age - has such a consistent output of charming, entertaining and intelligent films deserves nothing but the utmost respect. Not without any reason does Roger Ebert call him a treasure. As soon as he will stop making films (let's hope not that soon), the loss will be deeply felt. His films are the most beautiful celebrations of life, love and art - and "Midnight in Paris" is another prime example.

8/10

Night and the City: Marion Cotillard, Owen Wilson

Michael (Austria 2011)

2011-09-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

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

"Michael" ist ein stinknormaler, unauffälliger Mann mittleren Alters. Er lebt zusammen mit dem 10jährigen Wolfgang in einem biederen Reihenhaus am Rande von Wien. Sie sehen sich "Herr der Ringe" im Fernsehen an, bauen Puzzles zusammen und schmücken gemeinsam den Weihnachtsbaum. Alles wenig aufregend - wäre da nicht die Tatsache dass Michael nicht der Vater von Wolfgang ist...

Michael könnte natürlich auch Wolfgang heissen und Wolfgang auch Natascha. Doch nicht nur aufgrund der Anspielungen auf den Fall Kampusch ist "Michael" ein typisch österreichischer Film. Einer aus jenem "Genre" welches hierzulande gerne als Sozialporno beschimpft wird während es im Ausland aufgrund der realistischen, reduzierten Schilderung von Alltagsmomenten und der Bereitschaft, kontroverse Themen anzugehen, hohe Wertschätzung erhält. Das Regiedebüt von Casting-Director Markus Schleinzer hat es gar auf Anhieb in den prestigeträchtigen Wettbewerb von Cannes geschafft. Niemand geringerer als Michael Haneke hat seinen ehemaligen Mitarbeiter zum Schreiben des Drehbuchs ermuntert. Die Parallelen zum Mentor sind auch nicht von der Hand zu weisen, zu dessen Meisterschaft fehlt aber dann doch noch einiges.

Dies trifft vor allem auf die Inszenierung und die psychologische Tiefe zu. Auch die Dialoge und Situationen im Film sind nicht immer glaubwürdig - etwa wenn die Kellnerin im Skiurlaub ausgerechnet am schüchternen und wenig attraktiven Michael Gefallen findet. Dennoch ist "Michael" ein beachtenswerter Film. Vor allem da der Täter nicht lediglich als Psychopath dargestellt wird sondern als pädophil veranlagter Durchschnittsbürger. Michael Fuith ist dabei die Idealbesetzung - seine mutige Darstellung trägt den Film. Trotz der mangelnden Sympathie wird sich der eine oder andere Kinobesucher in der quälenden Einsamkeit seiner Figur wieder finden und sich mit seinen eigenen unerfüllten Sehnsüchten konfrontiert sehen. In der Beziehung zwischen Opfer und Täter wird das Alltägliche betont. Wie es zu der Entführung gekommen ist, erfahren wir nicht und auch der sexuelle Missbrauch wird nur angedeutet. Überhaupt spielt sich vieles im Kopf des Zusehers was den Film aber nur noch beklemmender macht. Die langen Einstellungen, die monotonen Situationen, die statische Kamera und die harten Schnitte tragen ihren Teil dazu bei dass der Film für einen alles andere als unterhaltsamen Kinoabend sorgt.

"Michael" ist ein verstörender Film, der unbequeme Fragen stellt und mehr ist als nur das Porträt eines Pädophilen. Der Täter wird - sieht man von seinen Neigungen ab - als Mensch wie du und ich entlarvt. Seine aufgestaute Frustration macht deutlich dass wir alle zwar eine Zeit lang mit Lügen und verdrängten Gefühlen leben können. Früher oder später aber müssen wir uns ihnen stellen...

7/10

Familienausflug: David Rauchenberger, Michael Fuith

Deliverance (USA 1972)

2011-09-05T06:09:00.000-07:00

During the opening credits of John Boorman's "Deliverance", the film's main characters, four middle-aged businessmen from the city, talk about the rafting trip they are planning on a river that is soon to be turned into a lake. Even though only their voices are heard, their anticipation of breaking out from the restraints of their ordinary lives can already be felt. But much like the politicians responsible for the destruction of the natural environment, they don't come in peace. They see the river as their natural opponent and the group's unofficial leader, outdoor fanatic Lewis - Burt Reynolds in his best role - even talks about his intention of "raping" it.

As it turns out, someone else gets raped in the picture in the now infamous scene that inspired a similar one in Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction". But even for the characters that don't get physically abused, the adventure trip has traumatic consequences. First it is the masculine Lewis who (with his bow and arrow, appropriately) kills one of the attackers, the kind of creepy hillbillies that by now have become a cliché in hundreds of horror films. But soon even his more sensible friends are forced to kill too in order to survive. What is remarkable is that there is no clear line between victims and perpetrators. And while the survivors get away with their crime, they pay for it with their conscience. The fatalistic ending is typical for the New Hollywood era, that unique period in American cinema when directors were allowed to break rules.

In a film not short of spectacular scenes, the most memorable one is rather simple. The banjo duel at the beginning of the film between Ronny Cox's character and a weird looking local kid who happens to be a gifted musician. This scene has deservedly entered film history and the young actor who plays the mentally challenged kid gives you the chills every time he reappears in the film. But the real best supporting actor here is mother nature. Several stunning locations in Georgia and South Carolina served as the perfect backdrop for the film. Like the characters, nature is presented in a rather complex way: beautiful yet at the same time rugged and potentially threatening. The conflict between civilization and nature and between the urban and rural population has been the subject of many other films but "Deliverance", despite all its sensationalism, remains one of the best and most disturbing ones.

8/10

Human Nature: Burt Reynolds in "Deliverance"

Les émotifs anonymes (France 2010)

2011-09-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

Most film lovers are anonymous romantics. They are usually not the most extroverted people so they go to the cinema to experience the emotions they are missing in real life because they are too afraid of getting in contact with other people. Often those film lovers are also nostalgic people who crave for the good old times when everything was a little simpler (and when cinema had its boom time).

Hence many audience members will be able to relate to the two main characters in "Les émotifs anonymes". Both of them are shy and suppress the feelings they discover for each other. Both of them live in the past and are unwilling to adapt to modern life. Their mutual passion is chocolate, the kind of hand-made chocolate you don't find in modern supermarkets. The predictable story of the film is an old-fashioned fairy tale but as so often with these kind of films it remains very watchable because of its charm. The retro decors and costumes are nicely done and the chocolates make one's mouth watery. The emotions are mostly lacking though. The two lead actors don't have a lot of chemistry and the beginning of their love affair is aptly awkward. For a film that wants to advocate a more tender approach to love than the one we have become accustomed to, they also end up in bed very quickly.

Nevertheless "Les émotifs anonymes" is a harmless film. Quite ordinary and in a way representative of the current Euro arthouse mediocrity but one that - for the reasons mentioned above - I find difficult not to like.

7/10

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach

The Endless Summer (USA 1966)

2011-08-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-08-24T04:27:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-08-22T06:36:00.000-07:00

"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)

2011-08-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-08-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-08-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-08-11T05:33:00.000-07:00

"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)

2011-08-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-08-04T02:16:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-08-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

"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?

Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song (USA 1971)

2011-07-30T04:41:00.000-07:00

"Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song" by Melvin van Peebles is one of the first films with black main characters and the film that kick-started the whole Blaxploitation movement. There are some examples of early black cinema but generally, black people were only found in supporting roles before 1970. The film is not short on sex and violence which earned it an X rating. Since a white jury was responsible for the rating, the film was consequently marketed as the film the man doesn't want you to see. Unexpectedly, the low-budget production became one of the biggest independent hits of that time, grossing over 4 million dollars - evidence of how much more open the audience was at that time...

The film is primarily interesting from this historical perspective. Compared to the later, much more glossy Blaxploitation films backed by major studios, it is a raw and radical piece of filmmaking. One might also say that the film is a total mess. The small budget definitely shows. There are some good ideas but nothing really fits, the cinematography is mostly amateurish, the actors and dialogues are at B movie level and the film's sociopolitical message is delivered with a sledgehammer. The ending especially where Sweetback - wanted for beating down two white cops - strolls around aimlessly in the desert, is testing the limits of the audience. The score is one of the best things about the film but its endless repetition is increasingly annoying as well.

Despite all that, "Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song" is a powerful film. At times, it bursts with energy and and the underdog spirit of its maverick director makes it hard to dismiss it. It is a film that defies being called a "good" or "bad" film but one that can't be denied its importance in film history. On its release in 1971, it must have hit the (white) American audience like a bullet - which is probably what Melvin Van Peebles was aiming for...

6/10

I'm not X-rated for nothing, baby!

Mother (South Korea 2009)

2011-07-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

Hollywood seems to have stopped producing intelligent entertainment but thankfully there are many other countries that still do. South Korea is an example where the output in this categroy has been most consistent in the last few years. Along with Park-Chan Wook, one of the most important directors is Bong Joon-ho who has won over audience and critics alike with his previous films "Memories of Murder" (2003) and "The Host" (2006). His latest film "Mother" follows that path in the sense that it is an arthouse films with a story that should appeal to "normal" moviegoers as well.

The film is a clever mystery thriller about a mother who is prepared to do anything to prove her son, who is charged for murder, innocent. One of the (many) surprising things about the film is that the resolution of the murder is secondary even though it is used to maintain the tension. The abnormal relationship between the mother and the son is given more importance and in particular the film focuses on the eponymous character, brilliantly played by Kim Hye-ja. As soon as the mother takes over after the murder has occured, she dominates every scene and we stay with her until the bitter end. We understand her even though she doesn't act morally. The story is told expertly and the director more than once leads us to false sidetracks, leaving some secrets unexplained. But even more important than the pleasures of the intriguing plot is that the film never loses its sight on the dark and very real truths it uncovers along the way.

8/10

Protective: Kim Hye-ja as the titular "Mother"

Women without Men (Iran 2009)

2011-07-28T04:35:00.001-07:00

So many arthouse films look the same nowadays. Few directors have their own distinctive visual style. So it always a revelation when there is a new unique voice. Shirin Neshat made her name as a video artist and her feature debut "Women without Men" can only be called a work of art as well.

Her direction forms a beautiful contrast between quiet, dreamlike poetic scenes and dynamic, chaotic scenes of mass demonstrations. However, this approach is bound to be irritating and makes the film not quite coherent as a whole. Her storytelling abilities may not yet be as advanced as the ones for creating an atmosphere but Shirin Neshat nevertheless shows great promise with her first film. The beautiful cinematograhpy of the more experienced Martin Gschlacht, who was also one of the producers, deserves major credit too.

Despite its participation in the competition of the Venice Film Festival and the good reviews, the film had trouble finding an audience which is only understandable. Its political background may be too much for (Western) cinephiles and for the political-minded viewers, it may be too artsy.

The film was a coproduction between several countries including Germany, Austria, France and Italy and was filmed in Moroccco but since it is entirely set in Iran and its original language is Persian, I boldly declared it an Iranian film.

7/10

One of the haunting images from "Women without Men"

Coco avant Chanel (France 2009)

2011-07-28T02:51:00.000-07:00

"Coco avant Chanel" is - as the title suggests - a film about the early years of legendary fashion designer and style icon Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. The emergence of her fashion empire is not the subject of the film. Director Anne Fontaine instead tells Coco's years before the foundation of her company, focusing on her relationships with two men. From a cinematic point of view, although very well crafted, the film has little new or exciting to offer. It remains rather conventional but that may not have been such a bad approach because it marks a contrast to the person of Coco Chanel who was anything but conventional. She was an outsider, an independent women with radical new thoughts, and therefore way ahead of her time.

Whether one likes the film, ultimately depends on whether one is interested in fashion and the person Coco Chanel. For instance, it is very interesting to see that much of her inspiration came from men's fashion and her simple, classic style - which would be considered conservative now - broke with the social conventions back then. Audrey Tautou deserves a lot of praise in the title role. Usually it is not the best idea to have a big star portray a famous person but Tautou does manage to convincingly portray Coco Chanel and reveals her vulnerability hidden beneath the cool surface. In the final moments, she even looks strikingly like her.

People may critize the film's lack of emotions but it undoubtly has grace and as such is a very true portrait of Chanel's personality. I didn't like the film so much the first time because I concentrated too much on what would happen to Coco. When I watched it again I took a different approach and found myself enyoing it much more: I disregarded the story - which does indeed lack emotionality - and instead let the beautiful clothes, decor and cinematography inspire me - reminding me once again that film is, above all, a visual medium.

7/10

Fashion fades, style remains: Audrey Tautou as Coco Chanel

In a better world (Denmark 2010)

2011-07-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

Susanne Bier's "In a better world" has some very powerful emotional moments. The actors are - as in all of her films - very natural and the story, which touches some serious issues, is challenging enough. Yet as a whole the film feels a little overblown and too melodramatic - as it is often the case with films that feature multiple dramas at once. It is also way more constructed than Susanne Bier's raw and intimate early films which may be precisely why the Academy voters went for it and awarded the film with the "Best Foreign Language Film" oscar. Indeed it brings to mind "Babel" more than the Dogme 95 films where Susanne Bier has her roots. The mass audience may appreciate it but what her films gained in scope they lost in sublety along the way.

A film needs a strong beginning and especially a strong ending. "In a better world" has neither but instead a very strong middle section which shows the great potential the film would have had. Nevertheless it is still a decent film and one that confirms Susanne Bier as one of the most important European directors.

7/10

Just like heaven: Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm

Azuloscurocasinegro (Spain 2006)

2011-07-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

Daniel Sánchez Arévalo's 2006 debut "Azuloscurocasinegro" is - along with Cedric Klapisch's "L'Auberge Espagnole" (2002), Joachim Trier's "Reprise" (2006) and a few others - one of the films that accurately portrayed the young generation of 20-somethings growing up in Europe after the year 2000. My generation, to be specific. A generation that, overwhelmed by the endless opportunities it apparently has, seems to be somehow lost...

"Azuloscurocasinegro" translates as dark blue, almost black and refers to the suit that Jorge, the main character in the film, sees in the shop windows everyday. The suit represents a better life for the young business graduate who works as a janitor while at the same time taking care of his handicapped father. When his ex-girlfriend returns home and his fresh-out-of-prison brother asks him to impregnate his still imprisoned girlfriend, things get even more complicated. This may sound quite silly to you while you're reading it and indeed the script feels a little forced and improbable at times. But against all odds the film works very well and feels more true to life than most other films that have a more realistic plotline. The reason for this is that the characters are taken more seriously here than the plot. Or to emphasize the point even more, the characters create the plot, as it always should be.

Daniel Sánchez Arevalo shows a lot of talent in his first feature. He mostly avoids the pitfalls of clichés, silly jokes and an overdose of sentimentality. Instead he finds a good balance between entertainment and seriousness. The film feels fresh and unforced which is also the result of the natural performance he gets out of his strong cast. But there is even more that sets the film apart. In contrast to most other contemporary European films, the director and his cinematographer decided to shoot the film in Cinemascope which leads to some beautiful compositions and gives it a much more cinematic feel than one would expect from a small film like that.

Almodóvar may get all the credit on the international festival circuit but there are some other promising directors working in Spain at the moment. Julio Medem is one of them, and Daniel Sanchez Arévalo is now too.

8/10

The lost generation: Quim Gutiérrez, Eva Pallarés

Green Lantern (USA 2011)

2011-07-22T00:57:00.000-07:00

Thank god I don't have to pay for movies at the cinema anymore so at least I didn't waste any money on "Green Lantern", a movie that marks a new low point among the already modest standards of 3D comic book adaptations. If I would write this review for a magazine, it would not even be worth the paper it is printed on.

Claiming that "Green Lantern" looks like a video game would be an insult to video games. Most of them have more atmosphere and are far more complex than this absolutely silly film. There have been mindless films before to be sure, but most of them were at least entertaining. This one on the other hand is a succession of ridiculous action sequences, interrupted by the occasional equally ridiculous real-life scene. The better superhero films from the last few years were all in a way grounded in reality which is why they worked. Here, the characters can't be taken seriously so the audience is unable to relate to them.

I can't tell you much about the "story" - I didn't pay a lot of attention and I am pretty confident that I didn't miss much. During the 3D action scenes I mostly closed my eyes in order to spare them the exhaustion. The only scenes that were somehow bearable to watch were - as cheesy as they may be - the romantic scenes between Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, the primary reason being that any scene with Blake Lively in it is bearable to watch. She is just about the only real person in the film and as such her beautiful smile is a revelation in a testosterone fueled spectacle like this. She may not be a great actress but at least she is natural. Ryan Reynolds would have the potential to be a solid leading man too but he can't escape the absurdity of his character.

Questions that always come to my mind after viewing "films" like this are: does such a soulless product even deserve to be called "cinema" - a term with which we all associate so many great memories... and is this the beginning of the end of cinema as an art form that started out so gloriously during the days of the silent film? And even if cinema is considered only the medium and not the message, what do films like that say about the state of the world we're living in?

2/10

The chosen one: Ryan Reynolds in "Green Lantern"

Being There (USA 1979)

2011-07-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes "being there" is enough. At the right place and time, that is.

The main character in Hal Ashby's wonderful film "Being There", a simple-minded gardener who never before left the townhouse of his former employer, happens to stumble into a circle of influential power brokers eager for "sage wisdom". In the course of the film, he becomes famous, meets the president and is celebrated for an appearance on a national TV show for his simplified view of complex problems. He even finds himself an attractive women and is considered a potential candidate for presidency.

Could this happen in real life? Most likely not. Is it a joy to watch? Absolutely. But it is not just the entertainment value that makes the film a winner but the underlying truths that the film - despite all its implausibilty - uncovers. The dominance of TV and the fact that people don't really read anymore is one of them, the dominance of white males in the American society another. The comic situations in the film could easily have been used for cheap laughs but director Hal Ashby prefers a more subtle form of humour. The way he directs the film those scenes are always on the verge of credibilty. The quietness and the wintry atmosphere of the film are other means he uses to give the film a more serious, bittersweet touch.

The great asset of the film are the performances by Melvyn Douglas (who won an Academy award for his role) and Peter Sellers (who inexplicably lost against Dustin Hoffmann in "Kramer vs. Kramer"). Sellers once again proves in one of his last roles that he is one of the all-time great comedy actors. His reduced performance shows a different side of him than the exaggerated ones he became famous for. He once said in an interview: "I have absolutely no personality at all. I am a chameleon. When I am not playing a role, I am nobody." If he meant it, this role of a good-natured nobody may be the one that best expressed his real character.

"Being There" is almost forgotten now which is not surprising because it is not a very fashionable film. Today, such a quirky, low-key film about old people would not even have a chance to get made. Which is a shame because it is a film that displays what has always been Hollywood's main strength: the ability to address serious problems in simplified stories that everyone understands. Even Chance the Gardener.

8/10

The man who wasn't there: Peter Sellers

Bend it like Beckham (UK 2002)

2011-07-18T09:15:00.001-07:00

In case you haven't heard, yesterday was the final of the Women's Football World Cup in Germany. It was the first women's game I ever watched and it was nothing less than brilliant. One might even say that it was more entertaining and thrilling than most films nowadays. In a dramatic match the outsider, Japan, won on penalties against the favourite, USA. A dramaturgy made in heaven for any screenwriter out there!

The only film I know about women's football, the 2002 hit "Bend it like Beckham", follows a similar structure when a young Indian immigrant girl wants - against all odds - to become a professional footballer. It is a story that I can relate to a lot. When I was a young boy I wished nothing more than being able to kick it like - well, not Beckham but German midfielder Lothar Matthäus who was the big star in Europe back then. Unfortunately I didn't have much talent but nevertheless football was the thing that gave me the most delight - even more than the movies that I would discover a little later...

Hence, it is no surprise that I really enjoyed "Bend it like Beckham". True, it is not a very complex film and it it shamelessly exploits the ususal culture-clash tensions. The story about the outsider overcoming all obstacles is a rip-off from many similar, mostly American films which is why it became such a surprise hit over there. But as we all know, there are only very few truly original stories out there anyway. At least "Bend it like Beckham" delivers its message with a lot of charm and features a setting that is relatively unexplored. It's a real feel-good-film that I'm willing to substitute for a lot of serious dramas out there. The youthful energy of Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra is so infectious that the one thing you would like to do by the end of the film is... kick a ball yourself.

7/10

The kick to freedom: Parminder Nagra

Nosferatu (Germany 1922)

2011-07-15T07:59:00.001-07:00

The environment where you see a film can have a huge effect on how you experience it. I saw the horror classic "Nosferatu" by the great F.W. Murnau for the first time yesterday at an Open Air screening with live music. The projection was quite bad, the lights at the venue were too bright and people were walking around during the show all the time. All of this had quite a bad influence on the atmosphere of the film.

Of course, a great film shines through no matter what and "Nosferatu" definitely is one. It reduces the vampire myth to its bare bones and is all the more effective for it. It may not be that scary by today's standards but it is still unreached on an artistic level. The morbid images are unforgettable and Max's Schreck's grotesque figure far more haunting than any computer-generated creature I have ever seen.

But nevertheless I have a feeling that I might have gotten into it more if I would have watched in in proper quality in a darkened theatre or maybe even more alone at home. I will some time, and let you know - maybe I will be really scared then...

9/10

Terrifying: Max Schreck as "Nosferatu"

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (UK 2011)

2011-07-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

It may come as a surprise to some of my readers but over the years I have become a big Harry Potter fan. I usually don't like fantasy films and blockbusters very much but those films were always "special" to me. The last Harry Potter film was therefore a particularly emotional experience which is why I decided not to write a conventional review but instead a letter to Harry that I had delivered to him personally by Hedwig...

Dear Harry!

When I entered the movie theatre today to watch your final adventure, the first miraculous magic moment happened before the show even started. In the background the cinema played a song that I instantly remembered from my own teenage years in the late 90s: Puff Daddy's "I'll be missing you". It was the perfect expression of how I felt at this very moment. This bittersweet sentiment accompanied me the whole evening and even now - a couple of hours after the film - I still have a feeling of emptiness knowing that this was probably the last time I saw one of your films in the cinema. It also fits perfectly that right now there is a thunderstorm going on outside.

But in moments like these, it will always help me to remember the good times I had with you. I vividly recall the places I saw your films and the people I saw them with. But when I start thinking of the future I am afraid - although I hope I will be proven wrong - that I will never again feel as excited about a movie release as I used to get when a new Harry Potter film was coming out. In anticipation weeks or even months before the theatrical release, my excitement peaked at the moment the increasingly dark Warner Bros. logo appeared on the screen and the opening chords of the soundtrack set in. My inner child will probably respond to it forever when re-watching the films at home but still, it will never be the same again...

The same way you carried a part of Voldemort in yourself you were a part of me and my life - and that part is now missing. Over the ten years that we took this journey together, myself and the whole generation that grew up with your films formed the kind of intimate relationship with you and the other protagonists that you usually don't have with movie characters. Not even in way more realistic films. Even though I am a few years older than you, it still feels as if I have experienced my (slightly delayed) adolescence along with you. The innocent times were sweet but now they are finally over. The time has come for both of us to finally grow up and face not just our demons but also the responsibilities of adulthood.

But why, you might ask yourself, did I relate to you in the first place?

First of all, I could absolutely understand what is like to live within a world of ordinary mediocrity that does not appreciate "magic". Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to attend a school like Hogwarts where those abilities were discovered and encouraged. Our education system promotes studiousness and conformity as opposed to excellence and natural talent. Thus, I often felt like an outsider during my school years while at the same time I always sensed I had a lot of potential inside me. I could also relate strongly to the friendship you had with Hermione and Ron. For me, friendship is what the films ultimately were about and I fully believe that good friends can help you through the worst of times.

Another thing that I particularly liked about the films was the unique world they created. A world full of wonderful details (I would love to try that butter beer!) that was a dream come true for a nostalgic person like myself. A world of candle lights, books and traditions. I have a bit of an aversion to modern technology which is why I dislike many of the other big Hollywood movies where special effects have now priority over characters. With the Harry Potter films, it was always the other way round. The effects were fun but they were only means and never the ends in themselves. As we learned from Professor Dumbledore, words - along with love - are still the most powerful form of magic.

As far as your last film "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two" is concerned, I start with the things that bothered me a little. The 3D presentation was too much of a distraction and basically superfluous. So was the Epilogue - as faithful as it may be to the book. There was also too much violence and too many action scenes for my taste. (I never liked the action scenes in the films much anyway - I always preferred the quiet, intimate scenes the most.)

But nevertheless the final film is very satisfying and constitutes a worthy ending to what is now officially one of the best series in film history. And not just because it is the last film, it may be the most emotional of them all. The tone strikes a perfect balance between entertaining and dark scenes, there are some great moments and revelations and many of the great cast members are finally united. In short, it is somehow a "best of" of all the previous installments.

It is getting late. The moment has come for me to thank you, Harry. You made me laugh, you made me cry, you enchanted and inspired me. And for that, I shall forever be grateful.

Yours very truly,

your dear friend and spiritual brother

Andy

My very last Harry Potter movie ticket

Sennentuntschi (Switzerland 2010)

2011-07-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

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

In wenigen Tagen wird Nicolas Ofczarek wieder als Jedermann bei den Salzburger Festspielen das Publikum begeistern. Nicht weiter verwunderlich ist daher dass dem Theater-Schauspieler die Popularität dieser Rolle zu immer mehr Angeboten in Kinofilmen verhilft. So kann man ihn einige Tage vor Festspielbeginn bereits in den heimischen Kinos erleben. Doch wer sich die schweiz-österreichische Koproduktion mit dem eigenwilligen Namen "Sennentuntschi" nur wegen ihm ansieht, wird wohl ziemlich enttäuscht werden. Denn seine "Hauptrolle" ist eine der am wenigsten interessanten Figuren des Films und auch seine Darstellung bleibt eher uninspiriert.

Der Film hingegen, ein Mysterythriller mit Horrorelementen, ist ein sehr origineller Versuch eines europäischen Genrekinos. Er beruht auf einer Schweizer Sage bei der eine Sexpuppe zum Leben erweckt wird und sich an ihren Peinigern rächt. Ähnlich wie beim österreichischen Teenie-Slasher "In 3 Tagen bist du tot" wird dabei durch lokale Schauplätze und Figuren eine Atmosphäre geschaffen die den Film wohltuend von der Sterilität des Hollywood-Kinos unterscheidet. Die etwas zu konventionelle Inszenierung von Regisseur Michael Steiner kann zwar jener von Andreas Prochaska nicht das Wasser reichen, dafür aber ist die Geschichte des Films um einiges einfallsreicher als jene beim österreichichen Pendant. Technisch bleibt der Film hinter vergleichbaren Hollywood-Filmen zurück und auch die Dialoge der Schauspieler sind - bedingt auch durch den Schweizer Akzent - nicht immer frei von unfreiwilliger Komik. Aber gerade der selbstironische, morbide Humor und die originellen Einfälle tragen viel zum Charme des Films bei. Seine Schwächen und die mangelnde Perfektion verzeiht man ihm daher nur allzu gerne. Im Gegensatz zu Ofczarek voll überzeugen kann die aus Filmen von Skandal-Regisseurin Catherine Breillat bekannte Französin Roxane Mesquida in der Titelrolle. Die besten Momente und Sprüche gehören aber eindeutig Andrea Zogg als Senn Erwin.

"Sennentunschi" ist - wenngleich sicher nicht jedermanns Sache - ein gelungenes Beispiel eines lokal gefärbten europäischen Unterhaltungsfilms. Trotz der internationalen Besetzung und der Tatsache dass der Film zum Großteil in den Tiroler Alpen gedreht wurde, bleibt die den Film unverwechselbar machende Schweizer Identität stets erhalten.

7/10

Roxane Mesquida als "Sennentuntschi"

Alive! (Albania 2009)

2011-07-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

"Alive!" is the first film I have ever seen from Albania and while it is not an especially remarkable one, it does not have to hide from its Eastern European counterparts.

The film tells the story of a young student who returns to his rural village after the death of his father. Compared to the carefree modern life in the capital Tirana, the village seems to be not years but centuries behind. There are still old traditions such as Kanun, an Albanian vendetta ritual, that he involuntarily gets involved with. His peaceful life is soon disrupted and when he finally returns to Tirana, nothing will be as it was before.

This probably sound more exciting than it actually is because even if the story feels authentic, the film doesn't quite live up to the energy of its title. In spite of the well-meant ambition of first-time director Artan Minarolli to show an honest portrait of contemporary Albania, his direction lacks any creativity. The film is told and filmed too conventionally to create any tension. Especially towards the ending when one dramatic scene follows another, the director pushes too many buttons instead of just relying on his characters. The best thing about the film is the very good performance of handsome leading man Nix Xhelilay who displays both juvenile nonchalance and a certain maturity that his much older director appartently still lacks.

6/10

A moment of peace: Nik Xhelilaj

Into Eternity (Denmark/Finland 2010)

2011-07-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

"Into Eternity" is a spooky documentary about the Nuclear storage facility Onkalo that is currently being built in a deserted part of Finland. This pioneering project finally aims to provide a final solution for nuclear waste. What makes things complicated is that radioactive waste doesn't just go away over time - the radiation stays dangerous for up to 100.000 years. So the main challenge of Onkalo's is to make sure that it remains closed and safe for future generations after its completion.

This is where the documentary of Danish filmmaker Michael Madsen sets in. He seems to be half serious when he repeatedly adresses his future audience - in his words, the film should "remind people to forget". But apart from these darkly comical moments, the film also touches a lot of serious issues that mankind is facing right now. Regardless if one is for or against nuclear energy, we have to find a way to dispose of the enormous amounts of nuclear waste that has been created already. And even though all of the experts involved in the construction of the site are aware that there will never be a guarantee that it will be 100% safe, for now, it may be the best choice that we have right now.

One strenght of the film is that unlike more persuasive documentaries, it never forces any opinion on its audience - it simply lets the deserted land, the creepy facility and the people involved with its construction speak for themselves. The viewer is left with the uncomfortable feeling that we as humans have made too many mistakes already which is why it may already be too late to correct them. The best thing we can hope for is that future generations will take better care of the world than we did.

7/10

Director Michael Madsen addressing his future audience

L'été meurtrier (France 1983)

2011-06-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

Two things in advance: I don't particularly like psychological thrillers and I don't particularly like films from the 80s.

So maybe it was not a good idea to watch Jean Becker's 1983 film "L'été meurtrier". But the promise of the young Isabelle Adjani as a mysterious seductress was enough for me. After all, she is an actress I like but unfortunately she hasn't made many great films. The setting - a young attractive woman comes into a small village turning it upside down is familiar from many other films. Adjani is very good in the sense that she portrays innocence and callousness at the same time. Naturally her charachter has a secret which gradually reveals itself throughout the film. She uses sex aggressively as her weapon to find out the truth about the dark secret of her family.

I have to admit that I have a problem with these kind of films because I care less about the story than about the characters. And the characters are not very complex here nor does the psychology advance far beyond your average TV drama. The ending is quite unsettling but can't compensate for the boredom I suffered through inbetween. You might feel otherwise - and some serious critics do - but to me it remains a rather conventional crime drama, but with a great performance from Isabelle Adjani.

6/10

The French Female: too hot too handle

The Lincoln Lawyer (USA 2011)

2011-06-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

It's not a coincidence that the main character drives of this film drives an old car (the "Lincoln" of the title) and not a shiny new one - the film is almost as old-fashioned as the car. It seems to be straight out of the 90s - the golden age of John Grisham adaptations. It might have more fun and less realism than those mostly deadly serious films but the parallels can't be neglected and Matthew McConaughey's role of an idealistic lawyer is quite similar to the one that made him famous in 1996's "A Time To Kill". The sad thing is that he hasn't had a lot of roles worth mentioning in between. Maybe the ex law student should stick to playing lawyers in the future...

But if he did that, he probably would get even less roles because let's not forget that a lot has changed in those 15 years. Back then, films like that were produced by the major studios whereas now "The Lincoln Lawyer" is produced by the semi-independent mini-studio Lions Gate. The studios have shifted their attention away from the intelligent, actor-driven, so called "quality" entertainment to a few tentpoles and big-budget spectacles. So in a way it is quite refreshing to have a movie focused on values such as characters and story and one that does not insult the intelligence of the audience.

But here is where the problems start because unfortunately it is not as smart as it would like to be. What's even worse is that it soon becomes too predictable. One example: if Ryan Philippe plays the arrogant rich kid accused of murder and Michael Pena the poor Latino kid, who of the two do you think is innocent? And do you really think he could get away with it in a Hollywood movie beset by traditional morals? Stereotypes like that are the reason the film ultimately falls a little flat.

Nevertheless "The Lincoln Lawyer" is certainly watchable: It has a good cast with Matthew McConaughey as probably one of the coolest lawyers in film history, some entertaining court scenes and a few good twists but the overall verdict is still: guilty of sticking to the Hollywood formula.

6/10

L.A. Cool: Matthew McConaughey as "The Lincoln Lawyer"

Wasted on the Young (Australia 2010)

2011-06-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

It is a product of our time that films and TV shows about rich disaffected teenagers enjoy such an ongoing popularity. Only few of them look beneath the surface. In his aptly titled film "Wasted on the Young" Australian first-time director Ben C. Jones wants to denounce the lack of morality and shallow hedonism that is characteristic of not just the rich kids in the film but in fact, the whole current generation. But despite these good intentions he fails - albeit in a spectacular fashion.

His approach is to critize the character's superficiality by exaggarating it so much that the term heightened reality is taken to an entirely different level here. He creates a unique over-the-top world with its own rules that is hip and, above all, meticulously stylized. Thus the whole film looks and feels like an overlong music video. It is set in a private school located in an extremely affluent beach community in Australia. But if this brings to mind TV shows like "Gossip Girl" and "90210", it's a long way from afternoon entertainment. With its sombre tone, the film is more like "The O.C. with an overdose" with the 2005 teen neo-noir "Brick" being another soulmate. The degenerated kids in the film behave like zombies in a way that makes Blair Waldorf and other High School bitches look like innocent angels. Parents and teachers are nowhere to be found and emotions are equally missing.

When I saw the film at the Munich Film Festival, I experienced a rollercoaster ride. At times, I was captivated by the atmosphere of the film and fascinated by watching this impalpable circle of the ultra-privileged. But there were also times, especially towards the expected weak ending when I started to hate the self-indulgence of both the director and the film's characters. Ultimately I didn't like the film but I have to admit that I at least partially enjoyed watching it.

Director Ben C. Jones shows some talent but he should have made a little effort studying film history before making his film. He would have learned that criticizing the vain decadence of the upper class can easily have the opposite effect. Many people see the self-indulgent characters of "La Dolce Vita", "Blow-Up" and lately "The Social Network" as idols instead of negative examples. At least this won't happen with "Wasted on the Young" because the characters are just not charming or interesting enough. But unfortunately the film does not have any of the intelligence, psychological depth and class of these films either.

"Wasted on the Young" could be seen as a desperate outcry of the young director but what remains of the film is a bravura exercise in style that is as shallow as its characters.

(Filmfest München)

6/10

Teenage Wasteland: Alex Russell

Play (Sweden 2011)

2011-06-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

The Filmfest München is currently devoting a program to Young Swedish Cinema. Sweden is an exception in Europe with the fact that talented younger filmmakers get a chance to make films there as opposed to the established, often untouchable auteurs well into middle age that are usually the ones allowed to make films in other European countries. And among these young directors, Ruben Östlund may be the most interesting.

With his startling 2008 film "Involuntary", the filmmaker established himself as one to watch and his latest film "Play" - for which he received good reviews in Cannes - more than confirms that. His unique, reduced style can best be described as voyeuristic and observational. He shows troubling everyday situations but as opposed to a documentarian approach he never comments on them. Instead, he forces the audience to think and make their own judgements about the actions of the characters.

Most films work through the identification with the characters. "Play" doesn't. Instead, it is addresses the audience directly. His refusal of letting us get too close to the characters is reflected in the cinematography: even intimate scenes are shot as long static shots that are nevertheless frequently engrossing. Östlund does not need the usual dramaturgical devices to make his film "exciting" - instead he finds the tension within the ordinary.

"Play" is a provocative film and his portrayal of criminal African immigrant kids may upset some viewers. But it is exactly this refusal to play by any rules and make any moral judgements that makes the film so subtly brilliant. His understated style is the equivalent of the minimalism that made Swedish design world-famous - one can only hope the same will happen to him and Swedish cinema...

(Filmfest München)

8/10

Reality Cinema: Ruben Östlund's "Play"

Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt (East Germany 1964)

2011-06-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

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

Einer der besten deutschsprachigen Antikriegsfilme aller Zeiten wurde 1964 in der DDR vom dortigen Filmstudio DEFA produziert. Basierend auf dem gleichnamigen Roman des DDR-Schriftstellers Dieter Noll werden dabei auf ungeschminkte und sehr authentische Art und Weise die Kriegserlebnisse des jungen Werner Holt geschildert. Im Mittelpunkt steht dabei die Freundschaft zwischen zwei Jugendfreunden: dem begeisterten NS-Anhänger und späterem Offizier Gilbert Wolzow (Manfred Karge) und dem angepassten Werner Holt (Klaus-Peter Thiele) der eigentlich nur deshalb mitmacht weil es alle anderen auch tun und sich darüber zuerst gar keine Gedanken macht. Doch mehr und mehr beginnt ihn das schlechte Gewissen zu plagen...

Auch in technischer Hinsicht ist der Film bemerkenswert gut gemacht und das geringe Budget wird durch viele gute Einfälle und die tolle Kamera mehr als wettgemacht. Was den Film aus heutiger Sicht zudem auszeichnet ist die Tatsache dass die Schrecken des Krieges zwar angedeutet aber kaum in entsprechenden Gewaltszenen gezeigt werden. Dieses "Kino im Kopf" - etwa die nicht gezeigte grausame Entdeckung der jungen Soldaten in einer Sägemühle - sorgt dabei für mehr Schauer als etwa die brutale Schlacht am D-Day in den ersten 20 Minuten von "Saving Private Ryan".

Der 165 Minuten lange Film ist zwar aufgrund seiner Schlichtheit nicht durchgehend spannend aber man verliert niemals die Interesse an den starken, realisistischen Charakteren. Wohl auch deshalb weil man sich des öfteren die Frage stellt wie man wohl selbst in dieser oder jener Situation gehandelt hätte. Denn der Film macht vor allem eine Sache sehr deutlich: es hat zur NS-Zeit nur wenige wirklich fanatische Anhänger gegeben, dafür aber umso mehr Mitläufer. Aber ohne ebendiese Mitläufer wäre Hitler und sein Regime machtlos gewesen...

8/10

Lieber nicht anecken: Klaus-Peter Thiele als Werner Holt

L'amour fou (France 2010)

2011-06-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

"L'amour fou" has falsely been marketed as "the Yves Saint Laurent Film". But anyone who expects to learn about the legendary fashion desginer and his craft should look somewhere else because this new documentary is essentially about the relationship between Yves Saint Laurent and the love of his life, Pierre Bergé, as well as their mutual passion for art. Apart from some early - and fascinating - archive footage we do not learn much about the person Yves Saint Laurent and his iconic company.

Instead the film focuses on Pierre Bergé who tells their story from his point of view and whose decision to sell their art collection after Yves Saint Laurent's death in 2008 is the major event at the end of the film. For a film set in the glamourous world of high fashion, the film is shot quite ordinary and not particularly exciting. The documentary has a rather melancholic tone which is due to the fact that Yves Saint Laurent suffered from a life-long depression after his breakthrough success as a designer. It is hinted that its trigger was the tense environment of the fashion industry. As Bergé remarks in a particularly touching moment, he felt truly happy only a few times a year: at the moment when he had just presented his collection and all the pressure was suddenly coming off.

This - apart from the charming personality of Yves Saint Laurent - is the main value from Pierre Thoretton's documentary. It shows that - unlike what many films and TV shows want us to believe - fame and fortune must not always lead to a happy life but can also cause the opposite. In our celebrity-obsessed culture, this is a lesson worthwhile.

6/10

Yves Saint Laurent: the tragedy behind the success

Il conformista (Italy 1970)

2011-06-21T02:56:00.000-07:00

"Il conformista" is widely regarded as one of the best films of Bernardo Bertolucci and is one where many of his themes can be found. It was also the film that established his reputation as one of the most visually arresting directors. The great cinematography by Vittorio Storario does stand out and is at times breathtaking in a way that it almost destracts from the film. The inventive camerawork seems to express all the emotions that the uptight main character suppresses. One gets the feeling that Bertolucci wanted the film to look as unconventional as possible to enhance this contrast.

This lack of sublety might also be the reason why I do not regard Bertolucci as an absolute master and "Il conformista" an absolute masterpiece. It is evident that - as opposed to, let's say, Antonioni - he makes films with his heart and not with his brains. This does not mean that he is not an intelligent director - it is just that for Bertolucci the art of cinema stands above everything else, even his own characters. It must be allowed to pose the question what remains of the film when all the opulence and visual splendor is subtracted.

The performance of Jean-Louis Trintignant maybe, which is one of the best of his entire career. Himself the son of a wealthy industrialist, he perfectly embodies the bourgeois opportunist with his ordinary yet refined and slightly arrogant look. But he displays something else too: the inner despair of the character that is hidden beneath the neat surface. This is the kind of sophisticated subtlety that Bertolucci could use some of.

But it might very well be that what he ultimately wanted to say with his film is
"Look at me, I am not a conformist."

8/10

"A Serious Man": Jean-Louis Trintignant

Una vita difficile (Italy 1961)

2011-06-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

Reading the synopsis of "Una vita difficile" (translated to "A difficult life") one suspects a tragic, rather sad film. And while the story of a Communist resistance fighter returning home after the war has its roots in Neorealism, the approach of director Dini Risi is different to this previous generation of filmmakers. He keeps it light and entertaining all the way even when his character goes from one lowpoint to another. This ability to tackle serious problems with humour is certainly a particular Italian quality.

And while the film does break with neorealism, there is an underlying truth and sincerity beneath the surface. It's the kind of film that both a mass audience and more cinephile viewers can enjoy. Everyone who has ever faced the choice between his ideals or dreams and the prospect of financial security will be able to identify with the good-natured but unlucky main character. And Alberto Sordi does a wonderful job in this role.

The film also provides a good picture of the boom years after the war and the differences in mentality between Italy's rich North and poor South that led to the Mezzogiorno problem. Suddenly there were opportunities for those willing to play with the rules. Many were embracing them in the hopes of gaining wealth while those who refused to go along with the masses were simply left out. In a country that is now - 50 years later - in serious trouble because of the leadership of an egomaniacal capitalist, the film now feels like a cautionary tale.

8/10

Stoking up: Lea Massari and Alberto Sordi

Die Verwundbaren (Austria 1967)

2011-06-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

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

In einer Szene von "Die Verwundbaren" werden Mäuse aus einem Käfig freigelassen. Einer der Charaktere kommentiert dies mit "Sie werden krepieren."

Diese Szene ist die Essenz dieses österreichischen Films aus dem Jahr 1967 denn ebenso verwundbar wie die Mäuse sind die Charaktere von Leo Tichat's einzigem Spielfilm. Auch sie zerbrechen an der sich plötzlich - bedingt durch das Wirtschaftswunder der Nachkriegszeit - bietenden Freiheit. Den jungen Protagonisten scheint es materiell gut zu gehen aber dennoch sind sie weit davon entfernt, glücklich zu sein. Insofern wirkt der Film sehr modern und könnte ebenso gut heute spielen oder beispielsweise im dekadenten Los Angeles der 80er Jahre von Bret Easton Ellis' nihilistischem Roman "Less than Zero".

Stilistisch geht der Film eigene Wege. Während manche Szenen mit ihren unverfälschten Aufnahmen an Originalschauplätzen vor allem an das französische Kino erinnern, gibt es dann wieder Einstellungen in denen die künstlerische Ausbildung des Regisseur sichtbar wird. In diesen kontrastreichen Bildern werden vor allem die Gesichter der Figuren in den Mittelpunkt gestellt während der Hintergrund - ähnlich wie in der Photographie - oft unscharf bleibt. Einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Atmosphäre des Films liefert der Cool Jazz Soundtrack von Erich Kleinschuster. Für damalige Verhältnisse war der Film sehr freizügig, er thematisiert sogar eine - damals gesetzlich verbotene - homosexuelle Beziehung. Dies ist auch der Grund warum der Film in einer umgeschnittenen Fassung unter dem Titel "Engel der Lust" in Wiener Sexkinos gezeigt wurde.

"Die Verwundbaren" ist ein einzigartiger, leider fast vergessener Film in der österreichischen Filmgeschichte. Offensichtlich inspiriert vor allem von der Nouvelle Vague bleibt Leo Tichat's Film dennoch ein Unikat. Er ist ungleich düster als vergleichbare europäische Filme, sozusagen die morbide Wiener Version von Filmen wie Godards "Masculin féminin" oder Fellini's "I Vitelloni". Weitere Paralellen findet man bei Jean Cocteau oder dem ebenso unbekannten englischen Film "The Party's Over". Verstecken muss sich der Film vor all diesen Vorbildern trotz technischer Unvollkommenheit nicht. Er ist zwar bei weitem nicht perfekt aber authentisch, stimmungsvoll und auf einem hohen künstlerischen Niveau.

7/10

Das obskure Objekt der Begierde: "Die Verwundbaren"

X-Men: First Class (USA 2011)

2011-06-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

Reboots and prequels are the next best thing in Hollywood, the difference between the two being that prequels are generally consistent with the previously established continuity of the series. Whenever a (successful) franchise runs out of ideas, they now simply replace the cast with younger actors and tell the origins of the story. The most popular examples are the Star Wars prequels that for many fans managed to destroy a myth. But thankfully there are prequels that do stand up to the quality of the original.

"X-Men: First Class" certainly does and is actually more fun than Bryan Singer's original "X-Men" from 2000. It is already the second prequel after "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" which focused only on the Wolverine character. Now we learn how two other important characters met and became who they are: Professor Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr as "Magneto", played by the two classy actors James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, respectively. Their conflict is what drives the story, the rest is mostly conventional superhero movie stuff.

It should be noted that the movie is set in the 60s which gives it some nice period details. But unfortunately the screenwriters couldn't resist to integrate real political events of the time such as the Cubane Missile Crisis into the story. There is even stock footage of John F. Kennedy and the first scene is - in a nod to the original film - set in a concentration camp during World War II. The resulting allegories made to Nazi Germany are quite tasteless and ridiculous. "X-Men: First Class" could have been a better movie if it would have focused more on its characters and their main problem - being treated as outsiders by society because of their special skills. That is what is relevant and the reason we as audience members relate to them in the first place. As a result, the strong scenes of the films are not the action scenes but the ones where the superheroes have to fight an entirely different fight: the one with themselves.

"X-Men: First Class" is first-class entertainment but it should have sticked to that and not taken itself too seriously by infusing the film with too much meaning. In comparison, Matthew Vaughn's own superhero movie "Kick-Ass" was a true original. It didn't have any political subtext but instead offered unadulterated fun. And was all the better for it.

7/10

Superheroes with a touch of 60s class

Passe ton bac d'abord (France 1978)

2011-06-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

Ten years after "L'enfance nue", Maurice Pialat went back to the region where he shot his first film. His characters were about ten years older too but the tone of film is a much lighter one. The grim outlook of his debut has been replaced with a more optimistic worldview that embrances the bright or not so bright future that awaits the young people of the town after graduation. Even if they have not yet figured out what to do with it.

In the best tradition of that quintessentially French genre, the coming-of-age film, it is an honest look at adolescence and the usual little problems that come with it. Love, sex and drugs are present too but never in a way that it dominates the film. Pialat's rather short film film doesn't really have a real story but is more a portrait of different moments in the young people's lives. It may not be as complex and intense as his more critically acclaimed drams but it is entertaining in a pleasantly unobstrusive way. Every viewer - regardless of age - will be reminded of at least some moments of his own teenage years.

From today's point of view, it is somehow comforting to see that the clothes and hairstyles may have changed but overall adolescence is still the same - and no modern technology will ever change that...

7/10

Coffee and Cigarettes

L'enfance nue (France 1968)

2011-06-12T03:40:00.000-07:00

Francois Truffaut's "Les quatre-cents coups" is the one that gets all the praise but even if it fully deserves it, there is (at least) one other French film that seriously tackled troubled childhood: Maurice Pialat's 1968 feature debut "L'enfance nue" (which was in fact co-produced by Truffaut).

But if the stories of the young left alone boys are similar, they way the directors approach them are somehow different. Truffaut's film may be more touching on an emotional level and superior from a cinematic point of view. But it is Pialat who handles the subject more subtly in his film and who has the more complex main character. As opposed to "Les quatre-cent coups", it is never made clear whether he is a victim of his circumstances or whether he was just born this way. It also dubious whether he has the capability to change or remains a lost cause. He is shown doing some nasty things and committing minor crimes but there are also some scenes where we get to know an innocent, tender side of him. As his foster mother remarks, "he has a good heart" - something that nobody would be tempted to say about the young Antoine Doinel.

Truffaut's film was celebrated for his realism but in fact Pialat's pure, raw style feels even more realistic. He doesn't use any music or stilistic devices such as the freeze frame at the end of "Les quatre-cent coups". Instead, he shows the characters and their world in a rather unfiltered way. As a result, the film may not be as directly engrossing. But it is at least as honest as Truffaut's autobiographical film.

This is not to suggest that "L'enfance nue" is the better film. "Les quatre-cent coups" is one of my all-time favourites, a cinematic milestone, and as such remains untouchable. But "L'enfance nue" is an accomplished debut in its own right by one of France's most underrated directors.

8/10

Au revoir l'enfance: Michel Terrazon

Something Borrowed (USA 2011)

2011-06-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

The good thing about Sneak Previews - apart from the surprise effect - is that you get to see movies you normally wouldn't see. The bad thing, of course, is that more often than not these are the movies you couldn't care less about. This was my fate yesterday when I had to suffer trough "Something Borrowed", the latest Rom-Com out of Tinseltown.

The genre of the romantic comedy is probably the most formulaic of them all. The saying goes that if you know one, you know them all. For people who have seen a lot of those chick flicks, that's part of the fun because it somehow makes you feel smarter to know what will happen next. But let's be honest, the main attraction of a romantic comedy is not really what will happen but how it will happen. That and the so-called chemistry between the couple.

So even if you know exactly how the film will end after only five (!) minutes, you can at least expect to get some light entertainment, right?

Not in this case because the initial dilemma (being in love with your best friend's fiancé who loves you too) could be solved immediately but unfortunately the screenwriters extended it to 112 minutes. As a result, the story gets increasingly annoying. The only suspense comes from the question when they will come together and how her best friend will react. But since the characters are mostly self-obsessed and not really likeable, there comes a point when one just doesn't care anymore. The cast isn't very helpful either: Ginnifer Goodwin as the main character is nice but ultimately too boring, Kate Hudson does the party girl well but it's quite pathetic to see that she should be beyond those years now. And Colin Egglesfield may look like a 20 years younger (and even more handsome) Tom Cruise but unfortunately even the latter one's Ray Ban's have more charm...

The film offers a "best of" (or "worst of") of all the incidencts that happen in romantic comedies. As a consequence, the film should not be called "Something Borrowed" but "Everything Borrowed" because of all its borrowed clichés:

The sweet and intelligent but less attractive main character? Check.
The better looking but shallow (blond) best friend? Check.
The perfect-looking love interest coming from a wealthy family who is against the main character? Check.
The nice gay friend who gives the main character love advice? Check.
The take-it-easy-manchild sidekick? Check.
The sex-obsessed friend who ends up alone? Check.
The picture-postcard aerial shots of New York and London? Check.
The romantic date on a rooftop? Check.
The tender piano music complementing romantic scenes? Check.
The sudden breakup just when everything seemed to have worked out? Check.
The fact that everyone has a lot of money? Check.
The love confession in the rain? Check.
Charm and sympathetic characters? Missing.

4/10

Does that look familiar?

Le nom des gens (France 2010)

2011-06-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

Woody Allen has many admirers. French director Michel Leclerc is one of them. In recent interviews he confessed how much he would like to make films like him. But judging from his second film "Le nom des gens", he still has a long way to go because even second-rate Woody Allen films are still superior.

True, Leclerc does manage to tackle a serious subject (racism) in a refreshingly light-hearted way and the relationship between an older man and a younger woman could indeed be straight out of a Woody Allen film. But despite some good scenes, the film fails to convince. Its starts as a smart comedy about prejudice but becomes a rather conventional love story that is not quite believable. It is the kind of film that tries to be serious but is never more than just "nice".

Nonetheless, there is a reason to see the film: Sara Forrestier is irresistably charming as an attractive young immigrant who sleeps with rascists to "convert them". As improbable as that may sound - if anybody could make that happen, it would be her...

6/10

Make Love, not War: Sara Forestier and Jacques Gamblin

Sweet Smell of Success (USA 1957)

2011-06-03T05:55:00.001-07:00

Think New York in the 80s was a greedy place? Think again because New York in the 50s was even worse. At least judged by its depiction in the 1957 classic "Sweet Smell of Success".

Some things were a bit different back then though: newspaper columnists still had real power and could make or break a career with their written word alone. And in Hollywood, they still made films that were both realistic and entertaining.

The film was not a big success on its initial release but unlike many other films from that time, it has aged very well. The reason may be that its cynical worldview fits quite well to our money-focused modern world. "Sweet Smell of Success" can be seen as a direct predecessor to modern classics like "Wall Street" and "The Social Network". Like in those films, the only characters that qualify as good can be found in small supporting roles while the lackluster ambition of Sidney Falco is at least on par with the one of Bud Fox and Mark Zuckerberg. And like those films, the main character is based on a real person, in this case on famous gossip columnist Walter Winchell.

But what sets "Sweet Smell of of Success" apart is that it combines this real-life story with old Hollywood charm. Above all, the film is wonderfully cinematic: the noirish city landscapes and the great jazz score contribute to a vivid portrait of late 50s Manhattan. Despite all this movieness and wonderfully exaggarated dialogue, the film still feels realistic. This is partly the achievement of British director Alexander Mackendrick but the two lead actors deserve equal praise. Burt Lancaster and especially Tony Curtis (who has his birthday today) are not just their typical movie stars personas here, they are really into their characters. Both their performances are among the best of their entire career.

The film is quite negative and shows the bitter consequences of ruthless ambition. Its underlying suggestion is that in order to get ahead, you have to be willing to sacrifice everything. New York City is shown as a place where you have to kill if you don't want to be killed.

If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

True. But if you don't watch out, it might cost you nothing less than your soul...

9/10

Match me, Sidney!

Orange County (USA 2002)

2011-05-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

Mr. Burke: Now, when I say "Romeo and Juliet", who comes to mind?
Dana: Claire Danes?
Mr. Burke: That's right, Claire Danes. Who else?
Chad: Leonardo DiCaprio.
Mr. Burke: Right. Who else? ...well, you know someone else was involved in that movie who in some ways is as famous as Leonardo Di Caprio. And his name is William Shakespeare. And some great movies have been made based on his plays: Hamlet, West Side Story, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Waterworld, Gladiator, Chocolat...

This dialogue from the 2002 comedy "Orange County" between an English literature teacher (!) and a student makes me laugh everytime I hear it. But I don't just like the movie because its entertainment value but primarily because it brilliant captures the love-hate relationship a lot of people have with their home town. As referenced in the film, this conflict is actually the source of many great works of literature and film. Well, "Orange County" may not qualify as a great work but it certainly shows that Mike White, the film's screenwriter, knows this strange place...

If you have never been to Orange County or watched any of the TV shows that made the region famous, you might not quite get all of the jokes but after visiting it occasionally while I was living in Los Angeles, I can honestly tell you, the reality is not far off. Having grown up far away from any beaches in an area with a lot of rain and fog, the place has always fascinated me despite, or maybe because of, the perfect weather, the wealth, the superficiality and the apparent lack of any sophisticated culture. It really is a place where a Hollywood movie is treated with more respect than a piece of renowned literature. Orange County - at least along the coastline - is where the American leisure class enjoys life in all its sun-soaked splendor seemingly without any real problems.

For instance, the only "problem" of the main character of "Orange County" is that he didn't get into Stanford University and is therefore unable to leave his hometown and dysfunctional family. Naturally, over the course of only 82 film minutes, he has learned that he can live his dreams regardless which college he goes to. But this simple message is presented in such a charming way that many of us can relate to it. After all, many of us have (had) dreams like that, many of us have this special relationship with our home town and many leave it only to learn to appreciate what they had in the first place...

This identification with the hero is also the reason why so many people - even "serious" film lovers like myself - respond to films like that. They take us to another world but their characters are familliar. Plus, they teach us things that we instinctively know already. "Orange County" is a good example what a good comedy should be: fun but not stupid, with likeable characters and that message that we all grasp for deep down inside...

7/10

Life's a beach in "Orange County"

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (USA 2008)

2011-05-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

I wasn't very curious about David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" when it came out in theatres in 2008 but now I finally watched it - the two main reasons being my admiration for David Fincher's latest film "The Social Network" and the inclusion of the film in the Criterion Collection. Usually this means that a film is something special and worth seeing.

And something special it definitely it even if that something is not enough to make it a great film. The film is quite an achievement from a technical point of view and especially the rejuvenation process of Brad Pitt is so remarkably well done that it is almost scary. But the lack of adequate technology was not the only reason that Fitzgerald's short story was long called "unfilmable". It is a story that works much better in your own head. Translated on screen, the story of a character growing younger somehow feels a little ridiculous despite the near-perfect illusion. It is hard to be really emotionally attached to a character that is so far from reality.

That said, the film does touch some serious issues about aging and the fact that we must ultimately lose everyone we love. But that could have been told on a much smaller scale and in a shorter running time as well. The result of screenwriter Eric Roth's idea of making an epic out of a short story remains exactly that: an artificially inflated romantic drama that suggests way more meaning that it actually contains...

6/10

Finally coming together: Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett

A Hard Day's Night (UK 1964)

2011-05-20T05:52:00.000-07:00

Why have "The Beatles" become as popular as they did? Was it because their music was so much better than all the other bands at that time? I seriously doubt it. Sure, they are responsible for a great number of catchy pop songs but their huge success is probably due to other factors. Their style and haircuts may have been a part of it but what set them apart and made them irresistable for anyone but the most jaded cynics was above all their passion and joy for life.

And this innocent joy for life truly comes alive in their first film "A Hard Day's Night" from 1964. It tells nothing more than a day in the life of the band but what could have become quite ordinary in someone else's hands is here done with refreshing wit and style by director Richard Lester. The film was way ahead of its time with its fast cuts and inventive camerawork that is now commonplace in music videos. The semi-realistic "mockumentary" approach also works pretty well in the sense that you never really now what's real and what's invented.

What was definitely not invented were the personalities and hilarious one-liners of the Fab Four. Just watching John, Paul, George and Ringo at "work" while listening to some of their best songs is such an immense pleasure that you would wish that the show would last longer than 84 minutes. The vital point of the film from a today's point of view is that it is a reminder that the good times must be enjoyed as much as possible because they usually don't last forever.

I would like to finish off with a quotation from Roger Ebert's review. I don't usually steal from famous critics but in this case I don't think I could express it any better: "The Beatles would go through a long summer, a disillusioned fall, a tragic winter. But, oh, what a lovely springtime. And it's all in a movie."

8/10

We have joy, we have fun, we have seasons in the sun

There Will Be Blood (USA 2007)

2011-05-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

Usually when a film gets rave reviews like "There Will Be Blood" did when it came out in 2007, I want to watch the film in question immediately. But I somehow never felt the urge to see "There Will Be Blood". Even now when a friend of mine finally borrowed it to me the Blu-Ray, I waited for over two weeks to watch it. And now after finally getting on to it I didn't really "like" the film in a conventional sense. I somehow expected that because it is a primarily negative film and films like that just don't correspond to my positive view of the world.

But that doesn't mean that I don't admire its greatness. In fact, there are probably not many better (made) films than "There Will Be Blood" in the past decade. It is such an immense accomplishment for the still young director Paul Thomas Anderson that some critics even compared it to the holy grail of film history, "Citizen Kane". This goes too far in my opinion but there are definitely parallels. Like "Kane" the film didn't even win the Oscar for "Best Picture" but this is not surprising after all since the film openly criticizes the very ground on which the American dream was built: capitalism. Daniel Plainview's obsessive need to succeed is indeed similar to the one Charles Foster Kane shows. And the cinematography is equally great even if the spectacular cinemascope vistas of "Blood" couldn't be more different to the striking black and white images in "Kane".

"There Will Be Blood" is also the one man show of Daniel Day Lewis. He dominates every scene with a great performance and makes his character fascinating even if he is not sympathethic. The lack of any real "good" characters - as Robert McKee like as that may sound - and the prevailing depressing atmosphere may be the major "flaw" of the film and the reason the film didn't find the audience it deserved. The intimate ending doesn't quite live up to the strong first two acts either.

Released in the time of America's oil and just before the financial crisis war the film can of course also be read on a wider scope both it still works best on an individual level: as proof that there are always some people willing to ruthlessly sacrifice everything else for their own success.

9/10

Greed is bad: Daniel Day Lewis in "There Will Be Blood"

Caché (France 2005)

2011-05-16T05:25:00.000-07:00

In his legendary 1954 essay "Une certain tendence du cinéma francais", Francois Truffaut posed the question "What then is the value of an anti-bourgeois cinema made by the bourgeois for the bourgeois?"

While European art cinema in general and the cinema of Michael Haneke in particular could be seen as a potential target for it, it might also finally provide the answer: it should make them uncomfortable.

Never more so than his subtly brilliant 2005 film "Caché" where the ordinary life of a quintessentially bourgeois couple is disrupted by puzzling, anonymously sent video tapes that show the street and building they live in. This is the set-up of a thriller but even if Haneke employs some tricks to increase the tension, the unfolding events are far from the conventions of the genre. It is a complex film about individual guilt and the way we deal with it in our daily lives. It is also about the small lies and misconducts that may lead to something big and terrible

When I initally saw "Caché" in cinemas I thought it was good but only after the second viewing at home I realized how great it was. Partly this may be due to the fact that is actually a film that works better in your own home than in public. But as with many other great films by extraordinary directors, you can discover something new every time you see it. Haneke is a master of reduction: every scene, every object and every dialogue in his films is worth paying attention to because it might mean something. Nothing is included in his films that does not serve any purpose. He won the Palme D'Or in 2009 for his masterpiece "Das weisse Band" but "Cache" would have been an equally deserving winner.

Viewers familiar with his films will not be troubled by the fact that the film offers no resolution and does not provide any answers. As Haneke often said in interviews, he does this on purpose so that the viewer can not easily forget about the film and is forced to think for himself. And after "Cache" he may discover some inconvenient truths about himself that where previously hidden...

9/10

"Caché": The discreet lies of the bourgeoisie

Wer wenn nicht wir (Germany 2011)

2011-05-14T02:41:00.000-07:00

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

Schon wieder ein Film über die RAF? Muss das wirklich sein? Das mag sich wohl so mancher kritischer Betrachter denken, wird doch mit jeder stilisierten filmischen Umsetzung die Gefahr einer Idealisierung der Terroristen größer – noch dazu wenn Andreas Baader von einem sympathischen Schönling wie Alexander Fehling verkörpert wird. Ein seltsamer Zufall ist auch dass der Film gerade jetzt ins Kino kommt kurz nachdem der weltweit meistgesuchteste Terrorist getötet wurde.

Erfrischenderweise konzentriert sich Regisseur Andreas Veiel – der sich bereits in seinem preisgekrönten Dokumentarfilm „Black Box BRD“ dem Thema genähert hat – in seinem Spielfilmdebüt aber auf die jungen Jahre der RAF. Der Film endet quasi dort wo Bernd Eichinger’s Großproduktion „Der Baader Meinhof Komplex“ aus dem Jahr 2008 erst so richtig beginnt. Im Mittelpunkt des Films steht die Liebesbeziehung zwischen Bernhard Wesper und Gudrun Ensslin die sich Anfang der 60er Jahre in Tübingen kennen und lieben gelernt haben. Veiel verknüpft dabei die Geschichte der beiden zunehmend mit Archivmaterial aus der Zeit was die hohe Authentizität des Films weiter erhöht. Dies ist jedoch der Grund warum der Film auf der emotionalen Ebene nicht wirklich funktioniert denn dieser ehrenwerte dokumentarische Realismus geht auf Kosten der Dramaturgie. Die den Kern des Film bildende Liebesbeziehung kommt nie richtig in Fahrt und spätestens mit dem erstmaligen Auftauchen von Andreas Baader - zugunstem dem Ensslin Wesper verlässt – ist die Spannung draußen. Die Darsteller können jedenfalls überzeugen: August Diehl beweist erneut dass er einer der talentiertesten Schauspieler seiner Generation ist und Lena Lauzemis wurde für ihre Darstellung der Gudrun Ensslin zurecht auf der Berlinale bejubelt. Auch die Nebenrollen sind überwiegend gut besetzt.

Gegen Ende des Films, als die historisch bedeutenden Ereignisse wie das Attentat auf Rudi Duschke und die Brandstiftung des Kaufhauses in Frankfurt passieren, wendet sich der Film zunehmend dem privaten Drama von Bernhard Wesper zu. Somit ist „Wer wenn nicht wir“ streng genommen gar kein Film über die RAF – das Politische bildet nur den Hintergrund – sondern über die zerstörerische Kraft der Liebe die einen jungen Mann bis zum Tod treiben kann...

7/10

Zeit der Unschuld: Lena Lauzemis und August Diehl

Les regrets (France 2009)

2011-05-09T00:43:00.001-07:00

In his latest film "Les regrets", French director Cedric Kahn explores subjects familiar from his previous films. As in the Moravia adaptation "L'ennui" and his 2004 film about a serial kiler, "Roberto Succo", it is about an obsessive love affair that seems to destroy the couple more than it makes them happy.

The couple here is played by veteran actors Yvan Attal and Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi. Attal gives a more subtle performance than usual while Bruni-Tedeschi sticks to the fragile yet sensual woman she often portrays. It is certainly not the fault of these classy actors that the passion of their relationship never truly comes alive on screen. The direction of Cedric Kahn lacks any inventions and the story itself does not break any new ground either.

The main reason why I myself did not regret to see the film was the music by Philipp Glass. At 74, the great composer is still at the top of his game. His score manages to drag you in even if the film fails to do so...

6/10

Crazy in love: Yvan Attal and Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi

The Hills Have Eyes (USA 1977)

2011-05-08T00:35:00.000-07:00

After the enjoyable but ultimately disappointing forth installment of the "Scream" franchise, I decided to watch one of Wes Craven's classic horror films: the 1977 shocker "The Hills Have Eyes".

Compared to Alexandre Aja's 2006 over-the-top 2006 remake, it is not that shocking anymore and feels a little outdated but it is still a good showcase for Wes Craven's talent. The film revisits territory familiar from previous 70s films like "Deliverance" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". From the very first scene where a suburban family stops at a run-down gas station in the middle of nowhere, you can tell that this road trip is not going to end well.

But as in most other horror films that's not really the point because the "how" is actually more important than the "what". And Wes Craven does it pretty well by slowly building an atmosphere of quiet desperation and employing some inventive ideas. Craven doesn't totally forget about the "why" either because the film - much like his notorious debut "The Last House on the Left" - is ultimately about the dark side we all have inside of us. It is usually hidden beneath the rules of the civilized world but under extraordinary circumstances, it might come out sooner or later...

7/10

Someone's watching: Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes"

Out of Sight (USA 1998)

2011-05-07T05:50:00.000-07:00

"All you need for a movie is a girl and a gun."
Jean Luc Godard

Well, yes, but it helps if you also have George Clooney...

The actor - more known these days as "Mr. Nespresso" - celebrated his 50th birthday yesterday which is why I re-watched some of his films. He is one of my favourite Hollywood stars because he is the last one who still exudes class and that old-school charm that seems to be a rarity today. The comparison with Cary Grant is not that far off even though he has not made as many great films. For me, he is also an inspiring person because of the way he presents himself and engages politically while at the same time having fun and enjoying the good life.

One of his best roles is the one as bank robber Jack Foley in the Elmore Leonard adaptation "Out of Sight". The film was - like the later "Ocean's" trilogy which it somehow resembles - directed by his friend and production partner Steven Soderbergh. Enhanced by a smooth jazzy soundtrack, it is one of those cool 90's films that are as slick and enjoyable as they are shallow. But it is an ideal choice if you just want to kick back and relax on your sofa. What truly stands out though are the few scenes Clooney and Jennifer Lopez have together. Even though they would make an unlikely couple in real life, their chemistry in the film is great. Not only are the acting limitations of "JLo" completely concealed, those scenes also have great atmosphere and dialogues, especially in the legendary car trunk scene where everything that is on screen for five minutes, is indeed a girl, a gun... and a charming leading man.

7/10

Close encounter: Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney

Viva l'Italia (Italy 1961)

2011-05-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Not every film of a great director is automatically a masterwork.
And not every historical event makes for good entertainment.

You should be aware of those two facts before watching and expecting too much of Roberto Rossellini's film "Viva l'Italia". The film was shown at a local cinema in my city thanks to the 150 year anniversary of the Italian state. Initially made for the 100 year anniversary in 1961, it tells the story of revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi who liberated Italy from the Bourbon monarchy. From a historical point of view, the film is certainly interesting but is is simply not engaging enough to make it appealing for a wider audience.

There are two main reasons for that: first of all, it does not have strong individual characters the audience can relate too. Unlike in most other historical films, the focus is on the whole rather than, let's say, Garibaldi's individual fate. The second reason the film is not very exciting is because Rossellini sticks to the facts and refuses to add any elements that would make the story more dramatic. These intentions may be honorable but a little dramatization wouldn't have hurt the film. The documentarian approach which he also used in his neorealist masterpieces worked much better there because those films had more immediately emotional and intimate stories. It also doesn't go well together with the much bigger budget he had at his disposal for this work which was commissioned by the Italian government.

From a technical point of view, the film is certainly remarkably well made for the time and historians will appreciate the authenticity. It is certainly quality cinema but compared to his earlier films, most cinephiles will probably find it too ordinary.

7/10

Fratelli d'Italia

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thailand 2010)

2011-05-01T04:34:00.000-07:00

If "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" by Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul would not have received the world's most prestigous film prize - the Palme D'Or in Cannes - its chances for a theatrical release would have been pretty dim. But as it happened, Tim Burton was jury president in Cannes last year and hence it was no surprise that he gave the award to a film with weird looking, red-eyed black monkeys. These monkeys are now used to market the film to the global audience but most of them - including the distributors - have probably no clue what they're up to. For "Uncle Boonmee" is certainly not a fantasy film but also not really a drama and definitely not a comedy (as listed on imdb)...

So what is it? First and foremost, it's the work of one of he most visionary artists working in the world right now. The man with the difficult name - the correct pronounciation is a-pee-chat-pong weer-rah-set-a-kool - is as highly regarded among serious film circles as he is virtually unknown among mainstream audiences. And his most popular film to date is probably not going to change that. Even I have to admit that I had high expectations that the film didn't really fulfill. But the reason is less that the film was not good but more that I couldn't find any access to its themes. It is the kind of film that for me is quite difficult to review: it is not my cup of tea at all but it is still way too accomplished to be dismissed. What is sure is that the film is unique in the way it blends a rather realistic family drama set in rural Thailand with supernatural elements and themes like reincarnation. Occasionally, if not throughout the whole film, the director creates a haunting atmosphere that somehow drags you in. On the other hand, I'm sceptical whether it's the masterpiece some critics made it out to be - but I might have missed something so make sure to make up your own mind.

"Uncle Boonmee" is not my kind of film but that doesn't matter because even the claim that "Uncle Boonmee" is not a film for everyone would be an understatement. It is a film for quite a few - but for these few it may come close to a miracle.

7/10

Never judge a film by its poster: "Planet of the Apes" this ain't

Source Code (USA 2011)

2011-04-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

Before he made his debut as a director in 2009, Duncan Jones was primarily known as the son of David Bowie. After the huge success of his debut among critics and fans alike, he is now referred to as the director of "Moon". And that's not going to change for a while. Even though his new film "Source Code" is further evidence that he is a talented artist in his own right, he fails to reach the high standards he has set for himself with his first feature. It doesn't help much that it's more or less the same story about an individual exploited by an institution, albeit packaged in a glossy version and with a more uplifting, less fatalistic ending which compared to "Moon" feels like a concession to Hollywood.

Judged by the average science fiction film, "Source Code" still qualifies as smart and original but it lacks the raw atmosphere and emotional impact of its predecessor. That said, influences of films like "The Matrix" and "Inception" are visible and the script is not as good as it wants to be. But even if the film sometimes feels forced and too ambitious for its own good, the very fact that Duncan Jones tries to make an intelligent, thought-provoking science fiction film where the explosions are an integral part of the story and not just there to show off, is a noble thing to do in an age of brainless and heartless blockbusters...

7/10

Strangers on a train: Jake Gyllenhall and Michelle Monaghan

Knocked Up (USA 2007)

2011-04-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, you have read the title right! It might not be the kind of film you would expect on this film blog but it is my firm believe that US comedy director/producer Judd Apatow qualifies as an auteur in the traditional sense.

Why? Because he writes his own screenplays, mostly about experiences from his own life, and he makes - keeping in mind the limitations of the American studio system - personal films with people he knows - most actors are either his friends or family. Luckily for him and the studio, his stories are told in such a universal way that millions of other young adults can relate to them as well.

Ripped to its core, "Knocked Up" still follows the schematic third-act-structure romantic comedy structure but in stark contrast to most other films of that genre, "Knocked Up" is told from the male point-of-view and contains lots of politically uncorrect jokes that are actually funny. Which is pretty smart from a Marketing perspective because this way the film attracts not only the girls but the guys too. The characters are likeable and even though occasionally exaggerated, they still qualify as somehow realistic. The film also offers a rather accurate portrayal of contemporary life in Los Angeles. And I can tell after having lived there for almost a year...

"Knocked Up" does not break any new ground but it is an entertaining comedy that is slightly above the current Hollywood average.

7/10

The Odd Couple: Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen

Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant (Germany 1972)

2011-04-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

"Es gibt drei Arten von Frauen: Die Schönen, die Intelligenten und die Mehrheit."

"Ich nehme Frauen ernster als es Regisseure sonst tun"

Diese Zitate stammen beide von Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Und beide helfen dabei die Frauenfiguren in seinen Filmen zu verstehen. Denn obwohl er sie scheinbar verachtet versteht er sie doch besser als die meisten anderen (heterosexuelle) Regisseure.

Ein Paradebeispiel für einen solchen Frauenfilm ist "Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant" - ein Film den man sich mit Männern in den Hauptrollen gar nicht vorstellen könnte. Im Mittelpunkt steht dabei die Titelfigur Petra von Kant, eine erfolgreiche Modedesignerin mit sadomasochistischen Tendenzen. Ihre Assistentin hält sie wie eine Sklavin und ihre junge Liebhaberin will sie wie eines ihrer Kunstwerke besitzen.

Der Film ist ein psychologisches Kammerspiel, gedreht in einem einzigen Apartment und mit nur sechs Darstellerinnen vor. Er ist dabei ebenso zermürbend und anstrengend wie brillant und trotz des theaterhaften Settings - der Film beruht auf Fassbinder's eigenem Bühnenstück - durchaus filmisch was nicht zuletzt der wunderbaren Kamera von Michael Ballhaus und dem spärlichen, aber effektiven Einsatz von Musik zu verdanken ist. An das Theater erinnert vor allem die Art wie auf einige wenig emotional starke Höhepunkte hingearbeitet wird.

Das Grundthema des Films - Machtverhältnisse in zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen - hat Fassbinder selbst stark beschäftigt weshalb man es in vielen seiner Filme wiederfindet.

8/10

Selbstzerstörung: Margit Carstensen als Petra von Kant

Angst essen Seele auf (Germany 1973)

2011-04-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

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

In seinem wohl bekanntestesten und für viele Kritiker besten Film "Angst essen Seele auf" greift Fassbinder einige Themen des zuvor von mir rezensierten Films "Katzelmacher" wieder auf. Dennoch ist der Film - obwohl nur vier Jahre danach gedreht - ein in jeder Beziehung reiferes Werk. Als Inspiration diente der Hollywood-Film "All That Heaven Allows" von Fassbinder's Idol Douglas Sirk.

"Angst essen Seele auf " ist ein Film über Vorurteile - und ich muss zugeben dass auch ich dem Film gegenüber ebensolche hatte. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Klassikern der Filmgeschichte war "Angst essen Seele auf " kein Film auf den ich mich gefreut hatte sonder vielmehr einer zum "Abhaken". Ich konnte mir einfach nicht vorstellen dass mich die Schilderung einer Beziehung zwischen einer alten hässlichen Putzfrau und einem arabischen Gastarbeiter auch nur irgendwie interessieren könnte. Zudem bin ich absolut kein Fan vom biederen Look der 70er Jahre.

Aber schon in den ersten Einstellungen des Films wurden sämtliche meiner Vorbehalte ausgeräumt. Zu verdanken ist dies dem Talent und der Ehrlichkeit von Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Dies liegt möglicherweise in der Tatsache begründet dass Fassbinder diese Ehrlichkeit - ähnlich wie sein Vorbild Douglas Sirk - in eine publikumswirksame melodramatische Dramaturgie einbindet derer man sich nicht entziehen kann. Der Film mag nicht im klassischen Stile schön sein aber er legt den Blick auf eine andere Art von Schönheit frei - jener, die unter der Oberfläche versteckt ist. Die Charaktere im Film sind vielleicht für viele Zuseher keine "Identifikationsfiguren" wie in Hollywood-Filmen aber dafür sind sie real. So real dass es einem ihre Probleme und Sorgen unweigerlich doch nahe gehen auch wenn man mit ihrem Milieu nichts zu tun hat.

"Angst essen Seele auf" ist trotz seiner Einfachheit ein großer Film von einem Regisseur den man zwar nicht unbedingt mögen muss aber der es verdient hat, ohne jegliche Einschränkungen respektiert zu werden. Mindestens ebenso sehr wie Douglas Sirk.

9/10

Wenn Blicke töten könnten...

Katzelmacher (Germany 1969)

2011-04-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

Since I am about to host a Fassbinder film night with my local film club, I (re-)watched some of his films which is why there will be some reviews (in German) dedicated to him in the next few days. You can use Google Translate to translate them to English.

Bei fast allen wichtigen Regisseuren mag ich die frühen Filme am liebsten. Diese sind oft noch sehr von persönlichen Erfahrungen geprägt und diesen Filmen haftet meist noch etwas Rauhes, nicht Perfektes an. Dies trifft auf "Les quatre-cent coups" von Truffaut ebenso zu wie auf "Mean Streets" von Scorsese und "Reservoir Dogs" von Tarantino. Und auch auf Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Dessen zweiter Spielfilm "Katzelmacher" wurde nur wenige Wochen nach seinem Spielfilmdebüt "Liebe ist kälter als der Tod" mit einfachen Mitteln gedreht und trägt - mehr noch als der vom amerikanischen und französischen Genrefilm beeinflusste Erstling - seine persönliche Handschrift.

Der Film ist was das Thema betrifft auf geradezu erschreckende Weise aktuell. Eine Gruppe gelangweilter junger Leute lässt ihren Ressentiments gegenüber einem griechischen Gastarbeiter - gespielt von Fassbinder selbst - freien Lauf. Doch fast noch schrecklicher als dieser damals wie heute nicht ungewöhnliche rassistische Übergriff ist die Lethargie in der fast alle Protagonisten gefangen sind. Die sich wiederholenden Rituale zeichnen - lange bevor Begriffe wie "Generation X" erfunden wurden - ein ebenso pessimistisches wie realistisches Bild einer Jugend die eigentlich alles hat und zufrieden sein müsste aber an einem Übermass an Freizeit und einem Mangel an Kontrolle zerbricht. Autoritätsfiguren wie Eltern oder die Polizei kommen in Fassbinder's Film erst gar nicht vor.

Auch was die Form betrifft ist der Film bemerkenswert. Die sich wiederholenden, meist statischen Einstellungen und die trockenen Dialoge replizieren gewissermassen den Inhalt indem sie die seelische Leere und das monotone Leben der Figuren ausdrücken. Wobei dies laut Fassbinder nur bedingt geplant war denn die teilweise quälend langen Einstellungen waren seine Trotzreaktion auf seine Kritiker welche ihm vorwarfen dass sein Debütfilms "Liebe ist kälter als der Tod" zu langsam sei. Hier wie dort ist diese Kritik meiner Meinung nach total unangebracht - diese Art der Inszenierung zwingt uns, den Charakteren trotz ihrer mangelnden Sympathie näher zu kommen.

"Katzelmacher" ist ein beeindruckendes Frühwerk von einem der wichtigsten deutschen Autorenfilmer.

8/10

Langeweile statt Revolution: Jugend in Bayern anno 1969

Potiche (France 2010)

2011-04-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a long way for Catherine Deneuve from the fragile young girl who works in an umbrella shop in "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" to the confident woman who co-owns an umbrella factory in "Potiche". The same could be said for director Francois Ozon whose latest work doesn't bear much resemblance to his edgy, occasionally brilliant early short films. And it is certainly a 180 degree turn from his previous film "Le refuge" - which might also be the reason why he chose to adapt a rather trivial stage comedy from 1980.

Deneuve on the other hand was never considered a serious actress but she always had another quality: screen presence. Never more so than in "Potiche" where she dominates every scene she's in and steals the show from her male counterparts, French acting legends Gerard Depardieu and Fabrice Luchini. It's fair to say that the still beautiful Deneuve matured as a person and as an actress in a positive way. Unfortunately the same thing can't be said about the director. Francois Ozon, widely regarded as one of the most talented and interesting of France's contemporary directors, seems to be getting nowhere lately. And while "Potiche" displays some of his trademark eye for style (this time dedicated to 70s retro kitsch) and strong female characters, it is - despite some references to current French politics - never more than amusing.

Which would be perfectly fine by the standard of the average French director, but from someone like Francois Ozon we should expect a little more than that...

6/10

Yes, that's "la Deneuve" wearing an Adidas jogging suit

The Pleasure Girls (UK 1965)

2011-04-18T03:08:00.000-07:00

Because of the many films I have seen already, I sometimes get the jaded feeling of knowing them all. Which is why it is always exciting to discover new interesting films I hadn't even heard about before. A great source for such discoveries is the "Flipside" label of the British Film Institute (BFI). According to their press text, they "rescue weird and wonderful British films from obscurity and present them in new high-quality editions."

"The Pleasure Girls" - another film from this collection - doesn't really qualify as weird or wonderful but that doesn't prevent it from being interesting and definitely worth checking out. Especially if you - like me - enjoy watching those 60s beauties. Like some other films from the collection, it is primarily centered in the London of the Swinging Sixties. And while that brings some nostalgic touch and the era's style with it, it is also very modern in the sense that the same story could be playing today. The romantic misadventures of four young bachelor girls in the big city are in fact not much different to those of "Sex and the City" - with the big difference that the characters are taken more seriously.

What is especially remarkable for 1965 is that the four women in the film are independent individuals and not just as pretty dolls like in many other films of that time. Even more radical is the frank treatment of homosexuality - the main reason the film was awarded an "X" certificate for theatrical release. Back then the film was marketed as an exploitation film but today the morality portrayed in the film feels normal, not shocking. The modern feel is also visible in the way the film is directed - the pace is faster than in most mainstream films back then and there are mobile camera shots as well as plenty of cuts. Even though the film had a relatively low budget, it looks quite nice - partly due of course to the restoration of the BFI.

7/10

I also have to mention how much effort BFI puts into the releases of these small underground films. They are presented in pristine high definition quality and include plenty of extras such as two interesting short films from that era. A beautifully illustrated booklet completes the great package.

Viewing pleasure: the BFI Flipside series

Saturday Night Fever (USA 1977)

2011-04-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

I wasn't really in the mood to go out yesterday night so I decided to get the night life into the comfort of my living room by watching the modern classic "Saturday Night Fever" - the film that launched the disco fever of the late 70s.

It's the film that made John Travolta famous and it's easy to see why: his performance is still one of the best of his entire career. He really IS Tony Manero. The film is best known for its dance sequences but it is actually a rather serious drama about a young Italo-American from a bad neighborhood who has big dreams. There are funny parts to be sure - some of them unintentionally because the film has aged quite a bit - but its overall tone is much closer to the early films of Martin Scorsese than to "Grease" and "Dirty Dancing". It is also no coincidence that Tony has a poster of "Rocky" in his room.

That said, comparisons like that don't help much because "Saturday Night Fever" is in fact not a particularly good movie. It's at times clumsily directed, some of the more serious scenes at the end do not really work and it feels strangely outdated from today's point of view. It still works as a portrayal of a certain time and place but not really as a serious melodrama. But why is that so many people (me included) still like it? The reason is that it has that special "something" that other, more "perfect" films lack. It feels true, has charm and some of the good scenes more than even out the bad ones. Above all, Tony Manero is an interesting character that one can easily identify with.

The film touches something in many of us. After all, who hasn't dreamed of escaping the average life and who doesn't have a certain ability or passion that makes them feel special? I was never much into dancing myself but I can totally understand what it gives to Tony Manero: a sense of freedom and self-respect.

7/10

Dancing Star: John Travolta

Brownian Movement (Netherlands 2010)

2011-04-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I travelled about 240 kilometers in one day just to see the opening film of the Crossing Europe Film Festival in the Upper Austrian capital Linz. That probably sounds crazy to anyone who is not obsessed with cinema and who never felt the urge to see a film as early as possible. And while I do not do this on a regular basis, the prospect of attending the premiere of a film at a film festival followed by a discussion with the director always gets me excited...

So what was the film that I desperately wanted to see? It's a Dutch film that couldn't have been a better choice for opening a festival whose focus is on smaller, non-mainstream European films. Its title - "Brownian Movement" - a reference to a scientific term - is as enigmatic as the film itself. It is directed by Nanouk Leopold, one of the more interesting female directors working in Europe right now - which is why the festival also shows a retrospective of her earlier films. She studied art and it certainly shows in her reduced framing, her eye for perspective and in the way she implements backgrounds and architecture into the compositions. Above all, this is a film where the images tell the story. That is, if one can talk about a story at all since the plot of the film is actually paper thin. It's about a young doctor who - despite being in a happy relationship - rents an apartment to have sex with random, mostly unattractive men.

Nothing much else happens and nothing at all is explained in the course of the film which is divided into three parts. The third part does not really add much to the previous two but this might also be because of the reluctance of the director to give easy answers. But since the topic of the film is that everyone has secrets and not everything in life can be explained, this feels rather coherent. And she also forces us to think which is always a good quality in a film. Another reason to see the film is the performance of Sandra Hueller which is on par with the one in "Requiem" for which she won the Silver Bear at the Berlinale in 2006.

"Brownian Movement" could be seen as representative for the whole festival since it embodies the cinema of anti-Hollywood. In a tradition that goes back to masters like Antonioni and Resnais, this quintessential European art film leaves its viewers with an overall impression of uncertainty.

(Crossing Europe Linz)

7/10

The secret in her eyes: Sandra Hueller

Die Vaterlosen (Austria 2011)

2011-04-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

As announced in the introduction to this blog, some of the reviews for German language films will be in my native language German. If you don't understand it, you can use Google Translate

"Die Vaterlosen" ist ein Glücksfall von einem Film und ein absolut würdiger Gewinner der diesjährigen Diagonale. Es geht um eine der in den 70er Jahren typischen Hippie-Kommunen aber das erfrischende daran ist dass nicht die Kommune selbst mitsamt der üblichen Klischees im Mittelpunkt steht sondern die daraus entstandenen Kinder, die sich nach dem Tod des "Familienoberhaupts" nach über 20 Jahren wieder treffen.

Man ist den Charakteren sehr nah in Marie Kreutzer's Debütfilm und noch dazu sind diese Charaktere authentischer und besser gezeichnet als in den meisten anderen österreichischen Filmen der letzten Zeit. Es ist fast als habe man den Ausflug in die grüne Idylle gemeinsam mit ihnen verbracht und sie dabei ein wenig kennengelernt. Dass dies trotz der vielen unterschiedlichen Figuren gelingt ist nicht zuletzt dem guten Drehbuch zu verdanken. Aber auch die Regisseurin Marie Kreutzer geht bei der Inszenierung originelle Wege. Sie schneidet etwa Köpfe von sprechenden Figuren ab und spielt mit der Schärfe indem sie in manchen Szenen alles bis auf die fokussierten Objekte extrem unscharf lässt um auf diese Weise die Entfremdung der Figuren auszudrücken. Sie bleibt dabei aber stets subtil genug um sich nicht in den Vordergrund zu stellen sondern ihren Darstellern das Spielfeld zu überlassen.

Der Film funktioniert einerseits über die Atmosphäre und darüber hinaus auch über die essentiellen Fragen die er aufwirft. Feste Bindung oder Freiheit? Aussteiger-Leben oder kapitalistische Unterordnung? Es wird kaum einen Zuseher geben der sich nicht wenigstens ein bisschen darin wiederfindet...

8/10

Eine schrecklich nette Familie

Orphée (France 1950)

2011-04-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

I mentioned Cocteau in the introduction to my blog and since I'm afraid not everyone is familiar with his films, I decided to make his magical film "Orphée" my first review:

After the hand-painted opening credits of the film, the voice of the master himself announces after telling the basic outline of the Orphée myth:
"It is the privilege of legends to be timeless."

This, of course, is true for legendary films as well. People will still be able to watch "Orphée" 50 years from now and be mesmerized by the sheer beauty of its images. One thing has changed though: when the film came out in 1950, some critics instantly saw it as a landmark film while countless others dismissed it as being merely a visually great but shallow fantasy of a pretentious artist. Partly this was because of the use of "special effects" which were revolutionary then but are quite subtle - if still stunning - by today's standards. The big difference is that no contemporary critic would dare to call "Orphée" superficial - a sure sign how much more intellectually demanding the average film was back then compared to now.

In fact, there are endless ways to read this film and in an interview with Cocteau from 1950 printed in the booklet of my DVD, he actively encourages that. He compares himself to a cabinet-maker who builds a table. It is - in his words - up to the 'consumer' to use the table as he thinks best. Following his advice, for me the film is on one level an allegory about the choices we make in life. Orphée seems to make his decision to stay with his wife rationally and not by heart. He chooses the careless decadence of the bourgeoisie instead of going for the femme fatale he secretly desires. But he and all the others involved have to live with the consequences...

Cocteau saw himself not as a cinéaste but as a poète cinématographique and "L'Orphée" - possibly his greatest work as a filmmaker - is indeed best described as a cinematic poem. Like many other poets, Cocteau was also concerned with darker subjects like mortality for he knew that beauty wouldn't exist without them. It is therefore no coincidence that mirrors are used in the film as gates to the underworld. He even makes this explicit in one line that particularly stayed in my mind: "Look at a mirror for a lifetime and you will see Death at work."

That is why I sometimes prefer cinema to reality - it preserves beauty forever...

9/10

Ageless Beauty: Jean Marais

The idea behind this blog...

2011-04-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

"I don't believe in elitism. I don't think audience is this dumb person lower than me. I am the audience."

This famous quote from Quentin Tarantino was one of the inspirations for this blog. Growing up with his films as part of the so called "Tarantino Generation", I certainly respect him as director and even more so for his childlike enthusiasm for cinema. But while I do like his quote, it is far from the whole truth. The reality is more that - let's just face it - a huge part of the modern audience actually IS dumb - or at least they seem to leave their brains at the box office when they enter a Multiplex cinema. They want to temporarily escape from their miserable, boring lives and therefore demand light, superficial entertainment. There's an evident void and mainstream cinema tries to fill it. At least Tarantino does it in such an original way that he still reaches the cinephiles as well...

The big problem of this situation that it limits the potential of cinema as an art form. To make the point clearer, I would like to add another quote from Jean Cocteau, who embodied the artist as filmmaker like almost n one else:

"The public is comparable to a child who wants to be entertained at all costs. Stooping to their demands for facile pleasures would mean renouncing all ambitions to make of the cinema an art. You only need to look at the average radio program, to find a confirmation of this truth."

He said it in 1950 and it may be even more valid today then it was back then. The constant catering to audiences and the focus on cinema as entertainment after the success of the first blockbusters in the 1970s has forever damaged the perception of cinema. The public sees it as pure entertainment and among the majority of the establishment, cinema is considered a second-rate art form.

As far as the masses are concerned, their tastes can probably changed only to a certain extent. They are too influenced already by media and advertising. Unless the whole capitalist world order is going to change, chances are the latest Blockbuster or Julia Roberts vehicle will still hit it big at the box office. As I previously stated, most of the people on the street simply do not possess a particular sense for art - or style for that matter. Which brings me back to the elitist perspective. I fully believe that elitism is necessary - not only in cinema but also for society as a whole. The reason is that it is the enemy of mediocrity. We need independent thinkers who have own opinions, who are able to formulate new thoughts and not afraid of defending them against the masses. Only when cinema is taken seriously it can live up to its full potential as an art form. For me personally, it is not just that but the meta art, the sum of all arts.

That is where this blog comes into play. I want to provide food for independent thinking and put films in the spotlight that - in my opinion - deserve more attention. Which doesn't mean that I won't review popular or bad films as well since it is actually more fun to dismiss a film than to praise it. By now you might ask yourself, why is he even qualified to judge that? Well, I don't want to go into too much detail here but after being obsessed with cinema since the age of 13, by now I see myself as someone who can appreciate "good" cinema and as someone who can see what others just can't. This bold self-perception may seem arrogant which is why I aptly gave this blog the name of the (German) term "Der Filmsnob"

That said, the blog - like most others - is highly personal and my reviews certainly reflect my personal taste and worldview. Sometimes even I am up for some cheap entertainment and I certainly do NOT see myself as the godfather of films whose opinion is the only one that matters. Quite the contrary - I look forward to encouraging future discussions.

If you happen to live in or around the cinematic wasteland of Salzburg, Austria please do check out the website of my film club and come by some time. After all, real life is still better than reel life (never mind what Truffaut said...)

Mit cineastischen Gruessen,

Der Filmsnob

Welcome to my new blog

2011-04-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Dear film lovers near and far,

I am very glad that you found your way to my new blog derfilmsnob.blogspot.com

Here you will find reviews of both classic and new films I see as well as additional comments on the current state of world cinema. Most reviews will be in English but I will occasionally post reviews and articles about local events in my native language German as well because it just feels more natural to me to write about German language films in... well, German. But if you are interested in the reviews of these films and you don't understand the language, you can use Google Translate

It is no coincidence that I am starting this blog today since today is Andre Bazin's birthday. He would have been 93 today. In case you haven't heard about him, he was one of the most influential film critics ever and the father figure of the Nouvelle Vague. His theories are still discussed today and he is also the author of "What is cinema?", one of the most important film books.

In a time when film reception and criticism is getting increasingly shallow, I find it hugely important to stimulate independent thought which is why I would like to dedicate my blog to him - even though he is way out of my league as a critic...

I hope you will enjoy reading my posts as much as I enjoy writing them.

If you do (or even if you don't), I cordially invite you to comment on them.

Of course you can also share posts on facebook using the icons below them or you can
become a fan of my blog

Yours truly,

Der Filmsnob

Qu'est-ce que le cinéma?