桃姐 (2011, A Simple Life, Ann Hui)

... and a simple film. Chung Chun To has worked all her life for the family of Roger. When she suffers from a stroke, she decides to retire and Roger is looking after her. Her health declines and in the end she dies, but yet - a film that is inspiring hope.
Wonderfully acted by Andy Lau and Deannie Yip. So many expressions are conveyed just by their doing and not by their saying.
The film also "criticizes society", however not by crying out a manifesto, but just by pointing. For example when we see that the people in that retirement home haven't their private rooms, but just detached cells without much privacy. Nor when we learn about the latent racist attitudes that without shame accepts different payment according to the origin of the worker.
This is a quiet film, that kept me thinking for a while.
10/10

Andy Lau and Deannie Yip in A Simple Life

Remembering happy days together

Privacy in a Hong Kong retirement home

A Simple Life is one of the best films I have seen recently

Hugo (2011, Martin Scorsese)

For once I agree with the mainstream: this is an amazing film. Right from the first second we are sucked into this magical universe. The story of little Hugo has a Dickens-in quality about it, about fulfilling one's dreams in spite all odds. Scorsese is one of the few directors who uses 3D not as gimmick, but to enhance the experience of the movie. (I still have to see "Goodbye to Language")
If I were less curious, I would have dismissed this as family movie, thus irrelevant to me, but this is one that can also be enjoyed by solitary viewers. And most of all this is a declaration of love to cinema, its magic that transcends reality and when it's well-done still can make us laugh and cry.
10/10

Hugo as Citizen Four

Chloe (2009, Atom Egoyan)

There are so many things which I don't know; so many things to see and experience. And every day something new is added to the backlog.
I have been told that Atom Egoyan once made important films, but at that time my focus must have been somewhere else. Now his talent is used up and he mainly produces trashy output.
This kind is often labelled as "romantic drama". Wikipedia thinks, it is an erotic thriller.
Well, here it goes: Catherine, a gynecologist, fears that her husband David, a college professor has an affair with a younger student.  What to do? Right, you hire a hooker to see how far he is willing to go. When Catherine learns that David agreed to be kissed, she gives green light to see if he will go any further. At some point Chloe's graphic descriptions are not longer enough and she wants to get the full picture, i.e. have sex with Chloe. Then David and Catherine discuss if they have been cheating on each other. But then they find out that the detailed sexual descriptions were entirely made up by Chloe and then they eventually reconcile, aging couple, they still feel attracted to each other and blabla. So finished? No way.
Chloe goes to Catherine's house and has sex with their son. Then Catherine arrives and interrupts them and now Cjloe is in love with Catherine. Bitch fight and Chloe falls to her death.
There is a lot of  promising material in the plot, but Egoyan realizes none of them. There is no character development (Catherine sees a lot of vaginas, so what is special about Chloe's? That she is sharing that one with her husband?) The web of lies is not developed either. The make-belief facade they build up, thereby losing each other out of sight. Why are they lying? What is in it for Chloe?
Acting is not so great either, as if done with pulled hand brake. Was it really necessary to make this film, just to get Amanda Seyfried out of her gear?
Neither erotic, nor thrilling, just plain: 3/10

Catherine and David have almost forgotten that they are parents to a sn with awakening libido

Same-sex passion in Canada

Chloe goes off with a bang; the movie is still a flop.

Monsieur Lazhar (2010, Philippe Falardeau)

Again a misunderstanding between me and the intellectuals. Almost all critics agreed that thhis was a good movie. It was close to nothing to me.
Monsieur Lazhar is a refugee from Algeria, where he owned a restaurant. When a teacher commits suicide, he gets the idea to replace her. The teacher had the idea to hang herself in her class room, thus traumatizing the children who will have to be in this room for the rest of the school year. Of course refurbishing the room with another color won't take away the bad memory. In a way Monsieur Lazhar and the kids support each other, as Monsieur has lost his family during a terrorist attack. His unconventional approach is somewhat successful, a blend of traditional pedagogy, kindheartedness and  copying other teachers. Of course eventually it is that he isn't a teacher at all. But at least he manages to say 'good-bye' to the kids.
The film could have become engaging, but he is so cautious that it hardly dares to ask any questions, let alone find answers. It is just potentially interesting, but thickly packed in with candyfloss so I lost almost all interest while watching.
3/10

Monsieur Lazhar tries to give orientation, even when he is lost himself

Monsieur Lazhar and his clas

Tournée (2010, Matthieu Amalric)

As an amateur viewer I am frequently surprised by the verdicts from professionals. So here - this mediocre film won the award fro Best Direction. A year later the same award was given to Drive, an even more dubious film.
This film is about burlesque performers on tour. They are middle-aged women on the verge of overweight women, giving their version of strip-tease with a pinch of feminism. They are from the US where their manager Joachim had somewhat success with them and now they are touring through France. Paris is to be the glorious final stop of this trip. However, this Joachim has managed to become enemy with generally speaking everybody in show business. With ever growing desperation he tries to find a hall in Paris, renewing old hostilities on the way and chain-smoking. One afternoon he evens manages to take care of his two sons, at least his is trying to. Ambition is bigger than performance.
The women lack individuality; we see them mainly as a bunch of crackling boa-clad forms. Direction is just plain awful. However as a performer Amalric is doing much better. I never got any sympathy with his character and this is in this case to be entered into the book as a success.
I don't know if this movie does justice to the genre of burlesque; I didn't get any interest in exploring this type of entertainment.
3/10 and a boo.

崖の上のポニ (2008, Ponyo, Hayao Miyazaki)

Charming! Magical! What more to say? A tale that enchants grown-ups and children alike (and not only children of any age).
When I several years ago had a visitor who travelled with animation films, I was a little bit surprised,but now I understand better this fascination. Animation is more than marshmallows from the Disney factory.
This movie is visually stunning and transcends the usual fairy-tale limitations by incorporating also modern environment problems. The message seems to be: live with nature on nature's own terms. In other words: sheer entertainment on a high level. Enough said.
10/10

Ponyo is in trouble.

Nature revitalizes also the old people.

Ponyo is happy.

Kaisermannöver (1954, Franz Antel)

Gezreigt vom ORF in einer Hommage an 70 Jahre Film in Rot-Weiß-Rot. Dieses Lustspiel wurde 1954, der Zweite Weltkrieg war noch nicht einmal 10 Jahre vorbei, als Huldigung an die gute alte Zeit gedreht. Es ist doch so gemütlich in der Armee, sie knüpft Verbindungen fürs Leben, prägt das Dasein, ist überhaupt die tragende Kraft im Staat. Das Alles wird ohne einen Hauch Ironie, aber dafür mit dick aufgetünchter Wehmut geschildert.
Es brauchte drei Personen, um das flaue Drehbuch zu schreiben. Witzchen, die auch schon vor 60 Jahren keine Chance hatten, als elegant durchzugehen.
Hauptmann Gustl liebt eine Komtesse Valerie, die jedoch einen Major heiraten soll. So stellt es sich ihr Vater vor. Dieser ist General. Man ahnt bereits, dass sich ein Klassenkampf anbahnt. Auch downstairs bahnt sich was Erotisches an, zwischen Valeries Kammerzofe Steffi und einem Zugführer. Als dann alles auf cErden zu verwicklet wird, muss es eben der Deus ex Machina richten, ja, der Kaiser Höchstselbst, der nicht nur den Franz vorn, "sondern auch den Josef hinten dran hat" (einer der umwerfenden Gags aus der Witze-Mottenkiste in diesem Film). Majestät befiehlt dann eben ein Happy End. Basta.
Wäre alles mit einem Tupfer Ironie inszeniert, so könnte es noch als liebenswert, eventuell charmant durchgehen, aber so? Aber so? Die Nationalitätenfrage kommt nur als Wort vor und die Armee war wohl auch niemals im Krieg. Ach ja, wer den FRIEDEN will, bereitet sich ja auf den Krieg vor.
Glatt inszeniert. 2/10 für sauberes Handwerk ohne doppelten Boden.

OMG - Josef Meinrad sinnlos verheizt und Hans Moser ein Lichtblick. Was muss das für ein Film sein?

Und noch eine Parade: Triumph des Willens in Farbe.

Eden Lake (2008, James Watkins)

This was shown in a series of horror movies, t I think it is misplaced there. However, it doesn't hurt if fans of that genre once in a while are exposed to some other kind of film.
Eden Lade is about a romantic weekend that goes as wrong as it can. It starts very calm and quiet, but then a group of bullying adolescents start to terrorize the young couple. It gets from bad to worse, violence escalates and in the end the fittest survive.
The escalation of the violence is staged with merciless consequence. Anything can be interpreted as provocation by these juvenile hooligans, also because the leader of the gang has to prove his authority by extra mischievous sadism. Yes, this is not a sociological study, but a sinister and exaggerated look at unpleasant sides of contemporary society. A post-Thatcher society that has become "Broken Britain".
And when The Sun, the mouthpiece of this segment in society pronounces the opinion that this movie denouncs working class people, it may not be so unrealistic anyway.
Of course this is not a film for in-depth meditation, but it still gives some gory entertainment for the   non-admirer of standard horror movies.
6/10

Eden Lake while being unspoiled

The kids have an odd sense of humor

Jenny's last option: disguise herself as garbage

Fehér isten (2014, Kornél Mundruczó)

This film harvested mainly positive reviews, although I really do not understand why. Right, you can read it as a parable about oppression, a dystopia where only pets have any humanity left. But it is too mixed to become really interesting.
Hagen is the Spartacus of the dogs, leading the rebellion against the humans. Lili is Hagen's human. Her father abandons Hagen in the street and from now on the dog is on his own. He has to escape the municipal dog catchers. At last a homeless transfers him to somebody who will train him as fight dog. Once Hagen has learned  how to be aggressive, he also knows to do. He becomes the leader of a dog army. They take revenge against those who mistreated them before.
Lili's story is a sub plot. She is coming of age, maybe having her first romance soon and playing the trombone in a school orchestra. She is estranged from her father - we have seen it all so many times before, and in more authentic versions.
It takes a lot of time until the movie starts going. More than the first half of the film is exposition; the abandoned dog getting brutalized and the girl wandering around and trying to find her former pet --- with lots of idle running. When they canine start their uprising, is becomes more Hagen's personal vendetta. That looks like a horror movie - Disney meets zombie films.
While the end ends in a transcendent way, no catharsis is going to occur. Foe me this flm worked on no level. I try to look at it from different angels, but all I see is futile underachievement
4/10

Since now we bark back

Hagen (best actor in White God) is getting p***edoff

.

Big Fish (2003, Tim Burton)

I saw this movie already some time ago. Holidays are good for reducing backlogs also.
So a film by Tim Burton - I have seen mostly as solitary experiences, but I should also see them as part of a certain director's output. So I was surprised what else I have seen by this director before. Some charming features about Chocolate Factories, something about ambitions bigger than abilities (Ed Wood) and also something about blending fantasy and reality (Edward Scissorhands).
Here we also have persons who cannot decide where fiction starts and faction ends. Or what is truth. Is ornamenting the truth a lie, escaping from reality or just making the present more beautiful and poetic.
In a way I got a bit tired of these fairy tale escapades, but stayed for the father-son-conflict. The end suggests a reconciliation between exuberant paternal imagination and a filial sober realism. The son will see the potential beauty and poetry in everyday blabla and will allow to let fantasy a part of his life. OK.
The picture side of this film is a bit too mignon, as if passing the threshold to imagination invariably leads to a world inhabited  by Disney-like creatures.
Let's call it tolerable entertainment and give it a 6/10.

Imagination creates larger than life companions

Father has done it again: entertaining with rehashed stories

Storywise death is a point of no returb

Frau fährt, Mann schläft (2004, Rudolf Thome)

Das ist nun schon der dritte Film über Beziehungskrisen älterer Paare. Was ist das denn für ein Sommer? Sind jetzt sämtlicher Konstellationen durchgespielt?
Dieses Mal befinden wir uns wieder im Intellektuellen-Milieu. Hier trete Personen auf die Prof. Anton Bogenbauer oder Dr. Sue Süßmilch heißen. Sie und ihre Kinder treten in einer Talkshow als glücklichste Familie Deutschlands auf. Aber die Dinge sind im Fluß; sie beziehen alle zusammen ein neues Domizil, das nie so richtig Heim wird. Brüche werden sichtbar. Das angebliche Glück ist ein Lügengeflecht. Der Professor hat ein Verhältnis mit einer Studentin, die Mutter hält sich auch einen Liebhaber. Sohn Thomas ist gerade von seine Freundin sitzen gelassen worden.
Eines Abends finden die Eltern einen Abschiedsbrief von Thomas vor; der Tod bringt das Lügengebäude zum Einsturz. Die Mutter erleidet am Grab bei der Beerdigung einen Nervenzusammenbruch und  wird in eine Luxusklinik eingewiesen. Normalität kann sich selbstredend nicht wieder von selbst eintreffen.
Schließlich beschließt auch dieses Ehepaar eine Reise nach Igtalien, was dann schon bald als Topos anzusehen ist. Sue wirft zum Schluß ihren Ehering ins Meer und entscheidet sich für sich selbst.
Hier sind wirkliche Dialoge (anders als in 42plus) und vor allem überragende schauspielerische Leistungen von Hanneloren Elsner und Karl Kranzkowski, Wo in dem einen Film alles bedeutend tat, entfaltet sich hier das Drana eher beiläufig.
Ich habe leider den deutschen Film zu lange vernachlässigt, Das soll anders werden. Es kann durchaus sein, dass ich auf sehr viel Schund stoßen werde, aber dann und wann taucht dann doch auch mal eine Perle auf. Und der Name Thome war mir bislang überhaupt nicht geläufig.
8/10

Deshalb heißt der Film so

Sues Welt ist kurz vor dem Zusamenbruch

42plus (2007, Sabine Derflinger)

Hier ist eine unüberbrückbare Kluft zwischen Anspruch und Ausführung. Etwas Bedeutungsschweres war geplant, doch als Resultat liegt bloß ein halb-aufgegangener Hefekloß vor.
Christine hat ein Verhältnis mit Martin. So wie in Intimacy soll es sich dabei nur um Sex handeln, also Sex ohne Gefühl. Aber dies Verhältnis kündigt sie gleich zu Anfang. Und dannj fährt sie mit ihrem Mann nach Italien, die Tochter Sonja kommt mit und möchte gern von einem Italiener aufgerissen werden. Christine und Georg, ihr Mann, dümpeln derweil in ihrem Boot vor sich hin.
Dann passiert etwas. Tamaz, ein Beach Boy, interessiert sich für Christine und sie haben geilen Sex. Und als Überraschung kommt der nun vormalige Liebhaber und dessen Frau. Jetzt können sie darüber tuscheln ob sie von den gemeinsamen Geherimnissen wissen oder nicht. Christines Mann geht auch fremd und das sit alles OK solange man nicht darüber redet. Als Christine also mit ihrem jungen Lover kommt, ist es nicht mehr OK. Große Szene, Bruch und anschließende Kittung der Ehe.
Zwischen alledem sind Sentenzen eingestreut, über Beziehungen und Fremdgehen, über noch Attraktivität und Torschlußpanik, über Alter und Jugend, miteinander reden und Dinge für sich behalten. Das soll vielschichtig, wohlmöglich tiefschürfend, erhebt sich aber kaum über  nur mit Mühe über die Banalitätsgrenze. Rosamunde Pilcher für Intellektuelle.
2/10

Mit Frischfleisch wälzt es sich besser

... auch diesen Film

3 (2010, Tom Tykwer)

Dies hätte  ein guter Film werden können, aber leider hat es sich Tykwer verbockt - wollte wohl zu smart oder gar intellektuell.
Hanna und Simon leben zusammen, aber dann auch wieder nebeneinander vor sich hin. Dann wird Hanno mit dem Tod konfrontiert, erst als seine Mutter erkrankt und dann stirbt, dann als man bei ihm Testikelkrebs diagnoztiziert. Er wird sofort operiert und will vorher noch Hanna anrufen, die liegt aber gerade mit Adam, einem Polyamourösen im Bett. Ihr Verhältnis kühlt nochmehr ab. Dann trifft Simon Adam im Schwimmbad und lässt sich von diesem befriedigen und es gefällt ihm auch noch. Dann wird Hanna schwanger und findet heraus, dass ihr Freund auch etwas mit Adam laufen hat. Erst gehen alle getrennte Wege, finden ihr Glück aber dann in der Dreisamkeit.
So weit, so gut. Aber, der Film wird mit intellektuellem Gerede aufgemotzt - Hanna ist schließlich Kulturmoderatorin. Oder die tote Muuer erscheint Simon und rezitiert Hesse. Oder es werden Filme zitiert und gewissermaßen optische Ostereier versteckt. Und warumm müssen die Dialoge so genuschelt werden? Die abgelieferten Repliken wurden oftmals so nuschelnd vorgetragen, dass ich mir beinahe Untertitel gewünscht hätte.
Hätte Tykwer mehr mit seinen Personen gearbeitet und sich Mühe gegeben, den Plot plausibler zu machen, dann hätte es ein hervorragender Film werden können. So ist es nur mäßiges Handwrek.
5/10

Zwei plus eins werden ein Paar im Dreierpack.

Pelo Malo (2013, Mariana Rondón)

I found this in a list of overseen and underrated film. A sort of Boyhood from Venezuela! Amazing!!
Junior lives in a slum disguised as housing project in Caracas. The dying Chavez is in the background, iconic blends of religion and socialism in the background. Junior is different. He wants straight hair and become a singer. His mother is not too happy with that. Father is absent, but there is a grandmother. There is also another baby, probably from another father. The mother is unemployed and willing to get back her job by almost any mean.
Junior is different, at least he sees himself as different. His mother, Marta, even consults a doctor to inquire what to do if her son was gay. The last pictures of Pelo Malo restore the norms  of mainstream, however - the titles leave a bit of hope.
Junior is not going to have an easy life in that society. Rondón's film is observing, like a documentary, without any sentimentality and without any accusations. Junior (Samuel Lange Zambrano) and Marta (Samantha Castillo) give great performances. A sad, but still life-confirming life that should have wider circulation.
9/10

Don't be curly in a straight world.

Become straight-haired is Junior's highest wish.

북촌 방향 (The Day He Arrives 2009, Hong Sang-soo)

I have learned that the Korean title means "In the Direction of Bukchon"; thus being bound for that place, but it doesn't say if he ever gets there.
I like In Another Country as a light and funny study of different plot developments. Something like Run Lola Run, seeing a story from different angles. Something similar is here, but this time kit is far from interesting. Here - and similarly in HaHaHa - Hong takes a film maker (himself), puts him in an intellectual environment and let him talk about, love, life, encounters, fate and chance and whatever. In a Groundhog Day manner, they are bound to go to the same places, have the same talks all over again with different and the same persons. This is not very engaging, it feels like overhearing an irrelevant talk in a bus.This is a pity, as the premise of this movie is promising, however the execution is rather lousy.
Is Hong really so afraid of re-inventing himself?
3/10

The Day He Arrives ---- nobody will care

He is wasting our time.

.

The Cry of the Owl (2009, James Thravers)

I saw this, because it was based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith. But either it was an uncommon bad novel or an extraordinary sloppy adaptation, in any case: the film is virtually unwatchable.
There are plot holes of the size of mine fields and our gullibility is stretched to inhuman dimensions.
Robert stalks Jenny. When she finds out, she invites him for coffee and then stalks him instead. She also quits the relation with her boyfriend Greg. Greg is not very happy with this and gets into a fight with Robert.Then Greg disappears and Robert becomes a murder suspect. Jenny has come to the idea that Robert is a messenger of death, so she kills herself. Then somebody shoots at Robert. Greg has come back and now he has a liaison with Robert's ex-wife. And so on
The confusing plot is executed in a polished manner, but no matter what, it is very hard to relate to any of these characters
0,5/10

Lost in a messy plot jungle (James Gilbert as Greg)

One of the most uncaptivating thrillers I have seen; suspense-free and 100% confusing

小城之春 (Spring in a Small Town, 1948, Fei Mu)

This has been declared as the finest Chinese movie ever made. Indeed, it is amazing It starts as some Lady MacBeth in the Chinese Province, but then it takes another, maybe specifically Chinese direction. The movie rotten many years in the dungeons of Mainland archives, as it was so far away from the official wishful thinking the Communists advocated in their flicks. This is a little, intimate study in the lives of four people.
The story is told in a strange old-fashioned way. It is as if the sound was recorded in a studio, however I want to leave technical details alone. We should be happy that we have this movie at a.
In the beginning there is a sick husband, his sister and his wife, She feels extremely bored in the devastated house, especially with only one room at her disposal. The couple doesn't live parallel, but total separate lives. She feels bored, he allows himself to be absorbed by his health. A doctor calls, an old friend. The war had separated them. The wife had a crush on the doctor and stills feels attracted. She would like to run away with the doctor, but what to do with the husband? A possible marriage with the younger sister is discussed.
One evening the emotions are clarified; every body continues life with a better understanding of each particular life.
This film doesn't need may words to explain the development of the emotions between the main characters. Mu Fei knew the subtle art of allusion; putting a hint here and there. The viewer finishes the story in the head. This is great art, so it had to be banned from the Mainland. I want to see more from this director.
8/10

Two plus two will eventually equsl four

Funny Games (1997, Michael Haneke)

Seit der Klavierspielerin habe ich schlimmstenfalls kein und bestenfalls ein angespanntes Verhältnis zur Produktion Hanekes. Caché ging gerade noch als Chabrol-Clon durch; Das Schloß war eine eher brave Nacherzählung. Das weiße Band gab mir Mut zu mehr und nun dies: Funny Games,
Haneke ist von der Gewalt fasziniert, von medial vermittelter Gewalt, die hier thematisiert werden soll. Sicher darf man hier an Video-Games denken und diverse Totschieß-Spiele. In diesem Spielen haben wir ein dualistisches Weltbild, à la George Bush: die Guten auf der einen Seite und die Widerwärtigen als Gegner. Soweit ich es sehe, kommt es hierbei darauf an, soviel Gegner wie möglich zu erlegen, nicht aber sie zu foltern oder ausgiebig zu quälen. Zack - und weg ist die Sau.
Gerade hierauf kommt es aber Haneke in diesem Film an. Vielleicht ist er am Leiden interessiert, denn die Gewalt visualisiert er allenfalls dezent. Oder interessiert ihn das Quälen anderer Lebewesen?
Haneke hat eine ironische Distanz zu seiner Handlung. Die jugendlichen Gewalttäter wenden sich gelegentlich ans Publikum, man kann auch schon einmal zurück spulen, um wieder auf die satt brutale Spur zurückzukehren. Das ist dann eine ironische Brechung, ja ja, aber was soll das Ganze eigentlich?
Wir leben in einer immer mehr verrohenden Welt. Ich habe gerade Lake Eden gesehen (darüber später mehr), und jetzt kann man natürlich anführen, dass eben die Medien Schuld an dieser Verrohung sind. Gewiss: sie erlauben globale Shitstorms, gewiss und ermöglichen auch, die Verrohung mit der Handy-Kamera zu dokumentieren, aber insgesamt greift diese Analyse zu kurz: die Verrohung ist nicht nur da, weil der Kunde es so wünscht. Hanekes Ansatz wirkt wie ein Hüsteln aus dem Elfenbeinturm. In der Gesellschaft gehen andere Dinge vor sich. Das war auch schon 1997 so.
6/10

Mittlerweile wird Funny Games auch von Freunden des Horrorfilms goutiert.(links: Arno Frisch).

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015, Kabir Khan)

From India comes a charming parable about the power of the people. Of course, also Bollywood knows about the real situation, so the whole thing is enacted as a fairy-tale. So all complaints about lack of realism are in vain, as the film visualizes a situation that could be.
Bollywood manages to treat serious themes under the premises of entertainment. Here it has everything: emotional impact, comical relief and a serious message: hatred is stupid.
Yes, the theme is the animosity between India and Pakistan. A little mute girl, illiterate, speechless in a foreign country, becomes the  symbol for this, as we see that words fuel hatred and differences, emotions and affections, not least sincerity transcend the man-made boundaries.
A Muslim girl ends up in a Hindu environment. Pawan becomes her protector. Pawan used to be an under-achiever, however one with a heart of gold. He takes care of the girl, even when he has to realize that she isn't Brahmin, not even Hindu. When he understands that she is from Pakistan, he endeavors to reunite her with her parents. His uncompromising sincerity unmasks all the absurdities, he meets on his way to the border and in Pakistan. And everywhere he meets the spontaneous solidarity of the people on both sides of the border. This is simple, but it still makes a powerful impact. A very great part of this goes to the superior acting of Salman Khan.
No Bollywood movie without songs: watch out for Zindegi  and the comical Chicken Song.
9/10 -- 159 minutes of high emotion, a colorful adventure.

Pawan and Shahida on the road on an important mission

Amour Fou (2014, Jessica Hausner)

Ich hätte gerne etwas Positives über diesen Film gesagt, es fällt mir aber überhaupt nichts ein. Ja, Kleist und Vogel begehen am Ende Selbstmord, aber gelebt haben sie vorher auch nicht. Die Marionetten in Kleists Essay sind lebendiger als die Figuren in Hausners Film.
Hausners Film ist sehr stilisiert; Tableaus nach der Art von Vermeer. In diesen Tableaus sind die Personen mach dem goldenen Schnitt aufgestellt und reden wie gedruckt und sind angestaubt und leblos. Nichts, rein gar nichts deutet auf ein Seelenleben hin, geschweige denn Emotionen. Gewiss, man hat eine Ahnung, dass Repressionen Krankheiten an der Seele auslösen können, aber wenn sich denn tatsächlich im Innern dieser Personen ein Vulkan befinden sollte, so scheint dieser schon seit langem ausgelöscht.
Gut, dieser Film fokussiert auf Vogel und ihre Beweggründe, mit Kleist (warum fällt der Name nicht in diesem Film)einen Selbstmordpakt zuu schließen. Kleists Motivation wird überhaupt nicht thematisiert, ihm ist eben auf Erden nicht zu helfen.
Schade, ein Film wie ein Coffeetable-Buch.
5/10

Weder Amour noch fou, dafür gepflegte Langteweile auf hohem Niveau