In Hotel Rock’n’Roll one never knows what to expect, and alongside amusing misunderstandings, clumsy policemen, “impossible loves” and speed cameras ready to treacherously take photographs, there is always time for an evening with old and new friends, singing and drinking merrily.
Meticulously detailed and quite original in its costumes, with an excellent cast and locations that almost seem to belong to enchanted dimensions, Frauke Finsterwalder’s Sisi & I is definitely the most “feminist” version of all the feature films dedicated to Elisabeth of Austria. At the Berlinale 2023.
In I Promise Wolfgang Murnberger undoubtedly relies on many clichés concerning not only military life, but also – and above all – the always complicated transition from childhood to adulthood. These clichés, however, manage to fully capture the feelings of the young protagonists, making this important feature film an extremely intimate and intelligent work.
The Royal Game is an endless journey between its protagonist’s past and present. The Royal Game is a rollercoaster ride, the meeting point between the outside world and the inner world. An experience that, at times, can really hurt.
Poppitz is hilarious, irreverent, not afraid to highlight the habits and faults of the upper middle class and, in recounting poor Gerry’s misadventures, draws a comprehensive fresco of contemporary society. A superficial society that only cares about ‘appearances’ and considers luxury as the solution to any problem.
In Madison, the Tyrolean mountains provide the perfect setting for wild bike rides, tortuous curves and steep descents. And the director’s camera handles the space perfectly, moves with agility along the slopes and trails, and gives us welcome adrenalin-fuelled moments. At the Diagonale 2021.
No one is really innocent in Life eternal. And even if past faults come to the surface, we gradually discover that those whom we initially considered to be completely negative, also have a tender and friendly nature after all.
Although Cappuccino Melange, in order to accentuate the differences between the two protagonists, plays a lot on clichés, often excessively caricaturing its characters and sometimes even seeming excessive and unbelievable, on the whole the adventures of the two bizarre protagonists work. And they do so especially in the details.
If Tempo – Oscar-winning director Stefan Ruzowitzky’s first feature film – on the one hand treads the coming-of-age path already dealt with over and over again in Austria, on the other hand, shows a closer look than ever before at what is being realised at the same time in the rest of the world, resulting in a product with an international flavour with many typical features of 1990s mainstream cinema.
India is the story of a great friendship. Of a friendship which is so strong that it is able to overcome any adversity. Josef Hader and Alfred Dorfer, for their part, have accomplished an excellent script, perfectly combining comedy and tragedy, in a deep and never predictable reflection on life, death and the importance of interpersonal relationships.