L'été meurtrier (France 1983)

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)

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)

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)

 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)

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)

"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)

"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)

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)

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 düsterer 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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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!