Today's Review: Toni Erdmann

De critici spreken schande van het feit dat Toni Erdmann in Cannes buiten de prijzen viel, maar als iemand zich daar weinig druk om zal maken, dan is het regisseuse Maren Ade zelf wel. Geïnspireerd door haar vader, een verwoed grappenmaker, is het project voor haar een persoonlijke zaak. Hij was degene die haar leerde dat je het leven niet te ernstig moet nemen en er vooral van genieten moet. Een boodschap die de regisseuse aanstekelijk uitdraagt in Toni Erdmann. In dat opzicht is ze niet te vergelijken met het vrouwelijke hoofdpersonage, wier drijfveren ambitie en carrière zijn. Ongeacht haar verlies in Cannes is het Ade gelukt juist met een tegenovergestelde levensovertuiging richting de top te klimmen, want Toni Erdmann is een allesbehalve serieus maar toch betekenisvol drama geworden.

Die titelfiguur Toni, gebaseerd op Ades eigen vader, is een uit noodzaak geboren persoon. Eigenlijk heet de oudere heer Winfried. Hij heeft niet bijster veel van het leven gemaakt, maar houdt er toch volop van, met zijn absurde gevoel voor humor als levensbepalende karaktereigenschap. Een schrijnend contrast met zijn dochter Ines, die tijdens het beklimmen van de ladder van het bedrijfsleven een tegenovergestelde figuur is geworden. Vader en dochter hebben weinig meer gemeen. Dat wordt Winfried pijnlijk duidelijk als hij haar bezoekt in Boekarest, waar zij vertoeft om een grote vis in de oliewereld voor haar baas aan de haak te slaan. Dochterlief heeft amper tijd voor haar vader en beschouwt hem als een sta-in-de-weg, ondanks zijn boerse charme waarmee hij zelfs haar doelwit bekoort. Tegelijkertijd maakt Winfried zich hoe langer hoe meer zorgen om zijn kind, dat tot een humorloze vrouw is uitgegroeid voor wie het ontslaan van mensen aan de orde van de dag lijkt te zijn. Hier moet ingegrepen worden, maar dat kan alleen Toni Erdmann.

Erdmann is gewoon Winfried met valse tanden en een sjofele pruik. Dat heeft Ines natuurlijk meteen door, maar toch staat ze toe hoe dit typetje zich in de high society van het bedrijfsleven naar binnen bluft en de hotemetoten inpalmt met zijn doldwaze charisma en bizarre anekdotes. Is het een onbewuste drang om uit haar verstikkende kleurloze bestaan bevrijd te worden of wil zij zien hoe weinig haar vader begrepen heeft van haar wereld? Ade laat het in het midden, maar Erdmann weet zich hoe dan ook goed te handhaven in de wereld van de 'één procent'. Dankzij het betoverende karakter van de meesterlijke Peter Simonischek sleept Erdmann ook ons volledig mee in zijn ondermijnende toneelstuk, waarmee het komische gedeelte van de film verzekerd is. Tegelijkertijd verliest Ade, geholpen door het sterke tegengas dat zijn tegenspeelster Hüller Simonischek geeft, het dramatische aspect van het mentale getouwtrek tussen Winfried en Ines geen moment uit het oog.

"Ben je eigenlijk wel een mens?", vraagt een vertwijfelde Winfried zijn dochter als hij geconfronteerd wordt met haar holle bestaan in de zakenwereld. Zijn dochter is een bikkelharde tante geworden, die alles inzet om de doelstellingen van haar bedrijf te behalen. Uitgaan, diners, zelfs haar verjaardagsfeestje, alles is slechts een middel in een strijd om de cijfers en alleen anonieme seks en af en toe een lijntje coke vormen enige ontspanning. Stilstaan bij de belangrijke dingen in het leven, zoals familie, is er niet bij. Van een eigen persoonlijkheid is weinig te bespeuren. Papa is niet trots op haar, maar bezorgd. Tegelijkertijd leidt ook Winfried niet het meest begerenswaardige leven. Hij is gescheiden, leeft alleen en pas als zijn hond sterft, zoekt hij toenadering tot zijn dochter. Daar mogen gerust vraagtekens bij gezet worden, maar hij is duidelijk gelukkiger dan zijn naar maatschappelijke maatstaven meer geslaagde dochter. Succes garandeert geen geluk. Toni Erdmann draait om twee totaal verschillende, maar even geknakte mensen wier verstandhouding opnieuw moet beginnen. De leugen Toni Erdmann moet die toenadering mogelijk maken.

Dat ingrijpen in andermans leven voor de eigen bestwil doet Erdmann met verve. Subtiliteit is daarbij niet het sleutelwoord. Wanneer hij Ines confronteert met het ontslag van arme arbeiders voor onbeduidende fouten neigt de film toch een beetje naar moralistisch sentiment. Er kan eveneens afgedongen worden op de eenzijdige wereld die Ade schetst van het bedrijfsleven. Dat is echter bijzaak, want het emotionele hart van Toni Erdmann wordt sterk gevormd door dit duet tussen twee persoonlijkheden, dat zowel aangrijpend als hilarisch is. Erdmann is een even merkwaardige als innemende verschijning die ons direct aan zijn kant weet te trekken, waardoor we volledig opgaan in de geleidelijke ontdooiing van de ijskoude Ines. Het duurt bijna drie uur, maar die tijd vliegt voorbij. De boodschap is niet bijster vernieuwend, maar dankzij heerlijke films als Toni Erdmann genieten we des te meer van het leven. Prestigieuze prijzen heeft Ade niet nodig, de breed gedragen erkenning dat Toni Erdmann een van de hoogtepunten van 2016 vormt, volstaat.

Today's Review: Im Labyrinth des Schweigens

Finally another review up!

Im Labyrinth des Schweigens - Recensie

It's that time of the year again, where we all need to take a break from things and remember those who died in war. In the Netherlands, if not the majority of the European continent, it means mostly not forgetting the many tragedies of World War II, since few other wars have plagued those nations since (thankfully!). Of course, distributors are quick to jump on the public consciousness by releasing films adressing the thematics of war, and every year sees the release of one or two films referring to the horrors of the Second World war. This year is no different, with Im Labyrinth des Schweigens the default war remembrance picture released in Holland. It's made all the more topical because it addresses the issue of forgetting what happened in WW II, at least in the West-German scenario. The country was rising from its own ashes swifter than people would have thought possible, so who would want to open old wounds by investigating the past and risking dividing the nation? It sounds inconceivable to the contemporary generations, but the term 'Auschwitz' hadn't penetrated the collective consciousness: in fact, most wouldn't have a clue as to what it entailed. It would take an unprecedented trail, wherein a country would convict its own war criminals for the first time, to change these paradigms of 'ignorance is bliss' and force Germany to gain knowledge about its own atrocities. Could make for a smashing movie.

Unfortunately, Im Labyrinth des Schweigens doesn't prove the film the subject deserves. Though the notions remain intriguing, it chooses predictable drama and basic entertainment over the historical facts. It will be a frustrating watch for those with just a tad more knowledge of history than most, as the movie wastes much of its time sending its protagonist on a wild goose chase that they know will prove fruitless. While the intercutting of shocking testimonies from Holocaust survivors remains as powerful a scene as in many movies containing similar material, putting emphasis on the sensational stories of Nazi war crimes, thus for instance depicting Josef Mengele as a crazy monster rather than the disturbingly human character he undeniably was, hurts the film's efforts to remember the times when memory was overruled by the collective desire of forgetfulness. Though the principal cast deliver adequate performances, the script does make for an overly naive and irrationally obsessed protagonist. The historically grounded sides of his character as an investigator of the truth are undermined by his stereotypical reactions on the adversity he encounters, including turning to alcohol and losing the love of his life to his freakish persistence. It has to be admitted though that casting a charming blond haired, blue eyed German man as the one to investigate the crimes of the Aryan driven regime is a fine statement of the younger generation delving into the unholy matters of the old. But when you have that character running around the streets at night in a drunken fit, yelling 'you're all Nazis!' to random passersby, you're making it hard to come across as serious.

As a whole, Im Labyrinth des Schweigens explores interesting philosophical questions, but due to its desire to come across as exciting first and foremost, it fails to make the most out of its intriguing historical subject. A better movie might still be distilled from the topic, allowing us to remain silent about this one afterwards.

Today's Review: Das Wochenende

MS posted this review of mine today (a day later than usual for reviews of new movies):

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/156070/das_wochenende_-_recensie

Quite a dull watch in all honesty. It's not the subject, nor is it the acting. It's the poor dialogue and unrelenting petty squabbling that get the better of this movie. If you have nothing to do during the weekend, better watch something else regardless. There's better movies featuring the (German) RAF out there, as there are more appealing films involving family bitterness exploding.

Today's Mini-reviews: Hannah and the Call Girl

Hannah Arendt: ***/*****, or 7/10

Biopic about the noted 20^th century Jewish-German philosopher Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), played impeccably by Barbara Sukowa. Directed by Margarethe von Trotta, the movie mainly examines Arendt's reports on the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Israel for the American magazine The New Yorker, as well as the overwhelming critique, following their publication, on her controversial findings regarding the mentality of the architects of the Holocaust. Arendt's conclusion is that they were not evil inhuman monsters, nor even purely driven by antisemitist motivations, but instead that they were everyday bureaucratic nobodies who viewed their atrocities simply as a job that needed to be carried out as effectively as possible. This new concept of the 'banality of evil' caused widespread criticism of Arendt's philosophical thinking, and caused her to be much maligned by fellow Jews, including people close to her. The movie covers all of this turbulence in Arendt's life, but does so in an overly stiff manner, rendering both Hannah and her intellectual antagonists rather emotionlessm thus sadly underscoring the popular opinion that philosophy is dull. It also makes it uneasy for the audience to really care about Hannah's tribulations as she undergoes them with minimal visible emoting. Nevertheless, from a historical perspective the topics covered remain intriguing, aided by good performances throughout as well as the terrific use of actual footage of the real Eichmann at his trial, indeed showing him to be a single-minded man devoid of critical thinking or even remotely interested in the moral issues while carrying out his former onslaught. The movie does do a botched job of portraying the romantic relationship between Arendt and her mentor – and eventual Nazi philosopher – Heidegger, which is touched upon in a series of short flashbacks which hint at its importance, but eventually fails in being fleshed out in a satisfactory manner that helps us beter understand Arendt. It's a missed opportunity, but ultimately not completely harmful to the overall plot. Warning! Due to heavy smoking by Arendt throughout the whole of this picture, this movie may cause irreversible damage to your lungs.

Call Girl: **/*****, or 5/10

Swedish thriller regarding prostitutes and politicians in the Seventies, which caused quite a stir in its own country due to its suggestion that a popular prime mininster of that era engaged in secret sexual hook-ups with underage girls who were forced into this sleazy business. Though in truth the movie only briefly touches upon that particular subject, it's no surprise many Swedes would take offense at the rather bleak and harsh view Call Girl offers of the political arena of the day and its subversive fascination with young female flesh, as seen through the eyes of a troubled teenage girl, locked away in a juvenile rehabilitation center. As she escapes her confinement she and her friend soon meet up with all the wrong people and are ushered into a world of glitter and power where they can have whatever they want, but for a price. Under the “care” of an unscrupulous older woman, a terrifying role by Pernilla August (once Anakin's warm and caring mum), she finds herself landing the job of underage hooker, being shipped from one dirty old powerful man to the other, seemingly with no hope of escape. Meanwhile, a political news reporter gets wind of the whole affair and means to expose it, but finds himself intimidated by the agents of the powers-that-be at every turn, until there is no way out but death or victory. Call Girl cannot be denied to be a gutsy movie, handling a sensitive topic with nerve and bravery, but there's various elements against either enjoying it as a thriller or taking its contents too seriously. For one thing, there is the excessive running time of 140 minutes, which surely could have been shorter to make for a more compelling film, since several scenes of political corruption and debauchery, heroic investigative journalism and plenty of bare boobs feel redundant. For another, the main girl the movie revolves around is a rather stupid, obnoxious and spoiled young cow, making one stupid decision after the other to predictable effects, making it hard to really care about her fate since she so obviously did everything to deserve it. Though the ice cold, wholesomely disturbing role by August and the shocking, uncompromising climax make up for it quite a bit, it's not enough to make the movie feel like its overstaying its welcome, while appearing to warn teenagers to behave and stay away from strangers a little too overtly.

Brüno

Rating: ***/*****, or 6/10

Sacha Baron Cohen mindlessly repeats his success of Borat by appropriating the same type of narrative set-up to his other infamous character, the excessively explicitly gay German fashion designer Brüno. First introducing Brüno in his natural environment at a fashion show turned awry, he's taken out of his element when banned from the fashion industry, after which his lover leaves him and he travels to America to become famous once more, insulting most conceivable minorities in the process in a series of loosely attached sketches. Whereas this approach led to great results in Borat, in the case of Brüno it leads to a distinct feeling of 'been there, done that'. What's more, the cheap gay jokes simply are not as original or as outrageous as Borat's repertoire and many miss their mark. However, there's still plenty to enjoy for at least one decent watch, including Brüno adopting a coloured baby he names O.J., visiting a swinger club to take advise on how to become straight and interviewing parents all too eager to let their child break through in show business about a role for their kids in a scene involving heavy antiquated machinery and Nazi uniforms. Filled with every thinkable cliché involving homosexuals, a lot of them simply cringy worthy, gay people had best ignore this flick.

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Gustaf Hammarsten, Clifford Baňagale

Directed by Larry Charles

USA: Universal Pictures, 2009

Boot, Das

Rating: ****/*****, or 8/10

Chilling, claustrophobic film about a German WW II submarine crew and the difficult duties they had to perform under heavy duress and constant danger of sinking and dying an ignoble, agonizing death, all the while continually contemplating why they fought the way they did for a government many of them viewed with distaste. Lt. Werner (Herbert Grönemeyer) joins an U-Boat crew as a war correspondent, chronicling the life aboard ship under the command of Captain Lehmann-Willenbrock, an explicitly anti-nazi veteran (which makes it all the more easy to identify with him and his crew, though this doesn't prove hard to begin with). Werner records the vessel going through one rough patch after another, the men aboard slowly loosing their mind and morale under the growing pressure (of both the fear for their lives and the water). This is not a film about Nazis, or even German soldiers: it's a film about ordinary men – boys even, considering the young age of many of them – trapped in a tiny space, cramped together for months on end without seeing day light, living through hell as they are bombed on all sides while trying to accomplish nigh impossible missions. It's also a triumph of cinematography, shooting tiny compartments in every possible way to maximum dramatic effect and emotional impact. Available in various versions, being released both as a theatrical film (regular cut running 149 minutes, Director's Cut 209 minutes) and a miniseries for TV (running a whopping 293 minutes). Any version is well worth the watch.

Starring: Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen

Germany: Bavaria Film, 1981