Friday, January 18, 2008

Jason goes to Berlin and Beyond--Day 5

Okay, I'm trying to finish this in reasonable time. I've still got 5 more B&B screenings to write up, and another movie since then. So let's just jump right in.

Last Monday night I saw two movies. First up was "Hounds", another dysfunctional family film. This one takes place in the stark beauty of the dead of winter in Uckermark region (a rural area just outside of Berlin). Lars has just moved there with his recently divorced dad. The locals don't take kindly to outsiders, and his dad's idea to rent out his barn to newlyweds seems kinda stupid. Lars' only friend is Marie, a mute girl. But of course her father is dead set against their friendship. Meanwhile Lars' mother comes over for Christmas, insisting despite the divorce she won't miss Christmas with her son. And she brings her lover with her--awkward! It's actually a very sweet, beautiful, and touching film. I also have to mention that it contains one of the festivals mini-themes--dead bunnies. That's sad. Bunnies are cute, and dead bunnies aren't. That's actually been a theme of movies I've seen for the past year, at least since "Your Mommy Kills Animals". Has cinema been killing more rabbits in the past year, or have I just gotten more sensitive to it?

Anyway, here's a pic of Constantin von Jascheroff (Lars) at the Q&A:


And the second film of the night was also about a dysfunctional family relationship. "Twisted Sister". Anne is a successful music producer, but her personal life with her loser boyfriend Philipp is a mess. She goes on holiday to Spain with her 18 year old sister Marie. They have wacky adventures together, fight some, do some drugs, have a little love triangle (or at least sex triangle...but sorry, no threesome). There's also a lost cell phone, pressures from mom and work, and a traffic accident. And in the end, I'm asking 'which sister was supposed to be twisted?' I guess that's pretty much the point. Here's a picture of the co-star (and daughter of Ulrich Mühe) Anna Maria Mühe (Marie, the younger sister):


And that was Monday.

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