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Werk ohne Autor (2018)
German art and politics in the 20th century in a nutshell
The film covers both German art and politics from the 1930s to the 80s. You get glimpse of the early avant garde, over the socialistic realism up to the post-modern art of Joseph Beuys and Gerhard Richter. Packed in a gripping family story disturbed by nazi and communist opportunism. Over the program of euthanasia of the disabled, the devastating allied bombing of Dresden to the adaptation of Soviet post-war moral. The commercial dogma of western art market and young people with art ambitions trying to find meaning in their interpretation of truth and value. An amazing film, so non dogmatic and utterly humanist. Also excellent acting of all, both the main characters down to the extras. A must for all interested in contemporary 20th century art and politics. Warmly recommended.
Händelser vid vatten (2023)
Blurred dialogue
A wornout theme of an obscure quasi-religious sect taking refuge in the countryside with a supposedly charismatic leader controlling his herd with expected bad consequences.. Though the bearded prophet makes it improbable that anyone would like to follow him. The subject / message of a threatened nature by evil commercial companies fits the nowadays reborn panic of an approaching ecological disaster. Perhaps more relevant today than in the hippie context the tale is anchored in, but still...The broken-up timeline without logic and the blurred dialogue makes it incomprehensible. Good acting does not make up for the flaws. Beautiful landscape makes it watchable, as well as the female lead characters. A slightly better serie is Knutby. Has Nordic crime noir had its heyday?
Livet är stenkul (1967)
A Swedish New Wave, hardly worth watching
A film that obviously was inspired by the French Nouvelle Vague with directors like Truffault and Godard. The tempo is high, the photo very good, the theme of lost youth contemporary. On contrary to the French movies though this one lacks completely likeable characters or interesting thoughts on the meaning of life other than 'to have fun', which the protagonists also seem to miss. The film leaves a bad taste in mouth.
Threesome (2021)
Disappointing
To exploit semi-naked young women and stripped young males does not make a good drama. The idea of monotoring young people exploring their sexuality is good and may shock some US watchers but is not the purpose? Still, the main characters are beautiful and quite charming.
Adam & Eva (1997)
A big yawn
Another of these tragicomical Swedish films with the improbability of being couples and another of these unmale leads with no direction in his life. If there ever have been any macho ideals among the Swedish stereotypes these ar long way gone, and no regrets for that. But beware of Swedish comedies, very few are funny and even less intelligent.
The Glorias (2020)
Not so great
To be politically correct is not enough to make a great movie. This one, while worth watching, is too simplistic and the characters are to cartoonish, without defaults or complications. It also spans over too many issues not properly developed. To have the main character tripicated also seems unnecessary, Wikander and Moore are not so differently aged that it requires them doubling. A disappointing experience nevertheless. It is also a bit boring to watch this type of American movies so one-sided in its ethical agenda. There is another world out there less programmed in a left-wing liberal topic but no less worth picturing.
Der gleiche Himmel (2017)
Good til' the end
If you never have experienced a totalitarian society you are hereby welcome to live in the DDR 1974 for a month. The series in 6 (!) episodes cover the everyday lives of two Berlin families on both sides of The Iron Curtain. During this Summer Nixon was forced to resign after The Watergate, Der Rote Armé Fraction attracted young naive teenagers in the West and the youngs in the East were filled with false propaganda about socialist superiority and their athletes stuffed with chemicals to achieve the expected successes. The DDR shocked the world by beating the world champions to be, the BRD, in the opening rounds. This is a time document of great value, slow paced, with excellent acting, though used to our Western always happy ends this one affords no such. And it is a disappointment, though closer to reality.
The Spanish Princess (2019)
An amazing historical drama
I was totally absorbed by this fantastic historical love story between a young Henry VIII and the Spanish princess Katarina of Aragon. So accurately told according to the actual events and with marvellous acting, down to the minor characters. In the turning point in European history when the early modern states were founded by rulers like Henry of England, François of France, Gustav Vasa of Sweden and the catholic emperors Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain who finally expelled the Morish Muslim invader that had occupied the Iberic peninsula since the eighth century and destroyed what he Christian kingdoms had built there before to create the Caliphate of Cordoba with its scholars and architects who have created such World heritage as the Alhambra Palace and the great mosque of Sevilla. Then gradually pushed back into The Mediterrean, almost from the start, with El Cid's glorious victories in the 11th and finally the expulsion of the Mores at the end of the 15th. The series also dwell on the human cost, the remaining convertites of Jewish and Muslim origin that were to be persecuted by the Catholic Inquisition. It was a time when Spain for some centuries was to become the leading power In Europe and the world, and for a while tried ally itself with the emerging seapower of England, by then a rather poor outskirt of Europe. It is romanticised, yes, both the leading characters seem so sympathetic, though their marriage was built on Katarinas lies and the cruelty and infidelity of Henry are quickly passed by. Yet one of the best TV-series with historical content I have ever seen.
Encounter (2018)
It is quite interesting
This film is underestimated, though quite short it is interesting with a theme of sci-fi where the alien is not entirely monstrous. The acting from the leads are not at all bad, though the story lacks an explanational understanding. Some scenes are quite beautiful, especially the ending.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
Extremely annoying
An extraordinarily annoying serie with a bunch of unsympathetic characters, especially the lead ones, one by one disappearing from the cast after exceeding their authority. Unlikely twists in the stories just to astonish the audience. Criminals let free due to sloppy police work while others go to jail of similar reasons. The announcement 'these are their stories' are from the beginning contradicted by that all is fictious. A few of the chapters are really watchable like the one with the rich runaway ending up in a slum-harem and that with the regretful though murdered by a mentor with the same urge. It is astonishing that Dick Wolf, father of such lovely series as Chicago PD, Fire, Med can have fathered this disgusting serie. Still: starting to watch one episode it is hard to quit.