DOWNTON ABBEY II: A NEW ERA
Valuation: **
At the end of the 1920s, the eponymous castle served as the backdrop for the silent film production “The Gambler”. Its kind titular character Guy Dexter (Dominic West) and difficult silent film diva Myrna Dalgleish (Laura Haddock) bring a touch of class mobility to the world of aristocracy. But because the aristocratic series and now sequel staff is alienated by the vulgar film people and also stands in the way of the narrative, most of the family is shipped to southern France. There, the Countess grandma (bored: Maggie Smith) inherited a villa from a former dalliance. The global economic crisis and the roaring 20s take place beyond the aristocracy. In the end, everything is the same with the new generation.
Marian Wilhelm
RABIYE KURNAZ GEGEN GEORGE W. BUSH
Valuation: ***
In 2002, the German-Turk Murat Kurnaz was arrested and taken to the notorious Guantanamo prison camp. He had to serve four years without a legal basis. Andreas Dresen (“Gundermann”) has erected a monument to the silent heroine of the story: Murat’s mother Rabiye. The modest housewife (imposing: Comedian Meltem Kaptan) fights for several years for the release of her son. Always at her side: defense attorney Bernhard Docke (Alexander Scheer). Whether the lively narrative approach is appropriate to illuminate the political abyss can be questioned. The effortlessly charming play of the leading actress makes dramaturgical weaknesses forgivable.
Christian Pogatetz
RIVER
Valuation: ***
Accompanied by orchestral sounds and a haunting voice-over by Willem Dafoe, Jennifer Peedom’s documentary “River” explores these once godlike forces of nature. Rivers have lost their value today, and dams prevent water from flowing freely. The documentary experiment is not a moralizing instructional video. First and foremost, Peedom’s film is a sensual viewing experience that may be a bit tough in places, but with visually stunning drone shots it seduces into an aesthetic delight.
Christian Pogatetz
THE ODYSSEY
Valuation: ****
In her debut, animation filmmaker Florence Miailhe uses an innovative technique that is being used in cinema for the first time. The breathtaking and harrowing images were painted with oil paints on glass. At its core, a universal story is told about refugees that cannot be assigned either in terms of time or place. Caused the rise of a fascist organization
some people to give up their homeland. Kyona and her little brother Adriel also have to abandon their family.
Christian Pogatetz
CLOUD UNDER THE ROOF
Valuation: **
Not so long ago, Paul (Frederick Lau) was happy
married. When Julia (Hannah Herzsprung) dies unexpectedly from a brain hemorrhage, the nurse is put to a hard test. Now he has to take care of their daughter Lily (Romy Schroeder). While he wants to keep calm on the outside, he threatens to break up in grief. Inspired by real experiences, the melodrama mixes mass-conform feel-good kitsch with a touch of the fantastic. Despite good intentions and a solid cast, Alain Gsponer’s meager execution leaves a lot to be desired.
Christian Pogatetz
LA FRACTURE – IN THE BEST HANDS
Valuation: ****
Angry, desperate late night texting from one side of the bed to the person on the other side of the bed. Let’s put it this way: The relationship between Raf (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) and Julie (Marina Foïs) was once more harmonious. Julie wants to break up, Raf runs after her, falls and injures his elbow.
In her hospital chamber play “La Fracture”, which premiered in Cannes and was softly translated into German as “In the best hands”, the French filmmaker Catherine Corsini spans the spectrum from the minor and major injuries in life to the major socio-political ruptures . In it, she lets the bourgeoisie collide with the working class: in the hectic setting of an overburdened emergency room in Paris. More on that in Julia Schafferhofe’s review of the “Movie of the Week”.
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