AngeloLuis Ortega’s El Angel (2018), an Argentinian biopic of 70s pretty-boy serial killer Carlos Puch, establishes its baseline tone in its first scene, in which Puch (Lorenzo Ferro) plays an LP in a house he has broken into, and Ortega amplifies the song Reservoir Dogs-style as Puch dances under the credits. The film sticks with this energetic, amoral agenda, and manages it pretty well from a craft perspective; along the way it shows a fair amount of intelligence and psychological insight that sometimes coexists awkwardly with its wish to entertain. Puch hooks up with a family of thieves that includes his classmate Ramon and enjoys his introduction to firearms so much that the family is unwittingly dragged along with him into the world of homicide. Puch tends to shoot when surprised or irritated, and afterwards isn’t overly sensitive to consequences: the character retains an odd innocence for a psychopath.
- 9/13/2018
- MUBI
Maria Theresia von Paradis was the daughter of Empress Maria Theresa’s Court Councilor and thus a young woman of standing despite the blindness that took her eyes before the age of five. Her father Joseph Anton and mother Maria Rosalia had the means to therefore teach her the finer things such as piano — a vocation to which she found expertise. The Empress allowed her a disability pension as financial assistance to help offset the strain of raising a daughter in the eighteenth century without prospects for marriage. But the pain in her eyes grew and every doctor hired to alleviate it only made matters worse. Franz Anton Mesmer became their last hope with his laughable method of healing via an invisible, odorless, and weightless magnetic “fluid.” It worked.
Paradis (Maria-Victoria Dragus) would eventually become a touring musician and composer who may have also been an inspiration to Mozart (she...
Paradis (Maria-Victoria Dragus) would eventually become a touring musician and composer who may have also been an inspiration to Mozart (she...
- 9/22/2017
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Too often-forgotten and yet a key historical period in post-WW2, that began in 1958 was the revelation of the German crimes for the first time to its own people.
“Labyrinth of Lies” is based upon true events and tells the tale of Johann Radmann (Alexander Fehling, “Inglourious Basterds”) a young, principled prosecutor who investigates a massive conspiracy to cover up the Nazi pasts of “very normal Germans” who had actively facilitated the Final Solution at Auschwitz, but remained unpunished, and ignored, long after the war ended. The five-year investigation led to the 1963-1965 Frankfurt Auschwitz trials. August 19, 2015 will mark the 50th anniversary of the verdict.
A hit in France and Germany, and a selection of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, Beta has sold the film widely:
Argentina-Cdi Films, Australia-Madman Entertai, Brazil -Mares Filmes Lt, Canada -Métropole Films, Canada-Mongrel Media, France-Universcine, France-Sophie Dulac Di, Germany-Universal Pictu, Israel-Nachshon Films, Italy-Good Films Srl, Japan-At Entertainmen, Poland-Aurora Films, Portugal-Films4you, Taiwan-Swallow Wings F, Turkey- Fabula Films
“Labyrinth of Lies” casts light on how, despite the infamy of the Nuremberg trials, much of post-war Germany denied its war crimes. Crisply photographed, and propelled by sterling performances from Fehling, Szymanski and Krisch, the film parallels personal drama with issues of a national scale, and raises still-relevant questions about war, and how history is ultimately written.
From the first frame, the film demands attention. At times, a bit hackneyed with some heavy-handed musical cues toward “emotional” moments, and at times a bit too long, however the subject matter and the attractive stars are very engrossing. One wants to see how the action will unfold and is willing to forgive the overly melodramatic moments. This is the German submission for the Academy Award out of eight which were considered.
Director Giulio Ricciarelli was born in Milan, and has acted in numerous German films and television programs. “Labyrinth of Lies” is his feature film directorial debut. German film and stage actor Alexander Fehling, best known to U.S. audiences for his role as Staff Sgt. Wilhelm in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds”, was awarded The Shooting Star Award at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival. He will next be seen in the new season of “Homeland” as Carrie (Claire Danes)’s new love interest, and has been cast as Friedrich Engels in Raoul Peck’s “The Young Karl Marx”.
Sony Pictures Classics will release “Labyrinth of Lies”, Giulio Ricciarelli’s feature film debut, Wednesday, September 30 in New York and Los Angeles.
Directed by Giulio Ricciarelli. Written by Elisabeth Bartel and Giulio Ricciarelli. Cinematography by Martin Langer, Roman Osin. Starring Alexander Fehling, André Szymanski, Friederike Becht, Johannes Krisch, Hansi Jochmann, Johann von Bulow, Robert Hunger-Buhler, Lukas Miko and Gert Voss.
121 Minutes. In German with English Subtitles.
“Labyrinth of Lies” is based upon true events and tells the tale of Johann Radmann (Alexander Fehling, “Inglourious Basterds”) a young, principled prosecutor who investigates a massive conspiracy to cover up the Nazi pasts of “very normal Germans” who had actively facilitated the Final Solution at Auschwitz, but remained unpunished, and ignored, long after the war ended. The five-year investigation led to the 1963-1965 Frankfurt Auschwitz trials. August 19, 2015 will mark the 50th anniversary of the verdict.
A hit in France and Germany, and a selection of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, Beta has sold the film widely:
Argentina-Cdi Films, Australia-Madman Entertai, Brazil -Mares Filmes Lt, Canada -Métropole Films, Canada-Mongrel Media, France-Universcine, France-Sophie Dulac Di, Germany-Universal Pictu, Israel-Nachshon Films, Italy-Good Films Srl, Japan-At Entertainmen, Poland-Aurora Films, Portugal-Films4you, Taiwan-Swallow Wings F, Turkey- Fabula Films
“Labyrinth of Lies” casts light on how, despite the infamy of the Nuremberg trials, much of post-war Germany denied its war crimes. Crisply photographed, and propelled by sterling performances from Fehling, Szymanski and Krisch, the film parallels personal drama with issues of a national scale, and raises still-relevant questions about war, and how history is ultimately written.
From the first frame, the film demands attention. At times, a bit hackneyed with some heavy-handed musical cues toward “emotional” moments, and at times a bit too long, however the subject matter and the attractive stars are very engrossing. One wants to see how the action will unfold and is willing to forgive the overly melodramatic moments. This is the German submission for the Academy Award out of eight which were considered.
Director Giulio Ricciarelli was born in Milan, and has acted in numerous German films and television programs. “Labyrinth of Lies” is his feature film directorial debut. German film and stage actor Alexander Fehling, best known to U.S. audiences for his role as Staff Sgt. Wilhelm in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds”, was awarded The Shooting Star Award at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival. He will next be seen in the new season of “Homeland” as Carrie (Claire Danes)’s new love interest, and has been cast as Friedrich Engels in Raoul Peck’s “The Young Karl Marx”.
Sony Pictures Classics will release “Labyrinth of Lies”, Giulio Ricciarelli’s feature film debut, Wednesday, September 30 in New York and Los Angeles.
Directed by Giulio Ricciarelli. Written by Elisabeth Bartel and Giulio Ricciarelli. Cinematography by Martin Langer, Roman Osin. Starring Alexander Fehling, André Szymanski, Friederike Becht, Johannes Krisch, Hansi Jochmann, Johann von Bulow, Robert Hunger-Buhler, Lukas Miko and Gert Voss.
121 Minutes. In German with English Subtitles.
- 8/27/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
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