11/16
Her joy is temporary as his health rapidly declines
Chronology
Lissy enjoys the deterioration of her husband Gerd in a house. Even Leo TOLSTOY knew that every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. This is also clear to German director Matthias GLASNER, who received the Silver Bear at the BERLINALE 2024 for his new film DYING. But he can add the North German Protestant variant to the theme, which further intensifies the family melancholy. Lissy Lunies (Corinna HARFOUCH) and her husband Gerd (Hans Uwe BAUER) live in a small town in Northern Germany and are already severely affected by old age.
Accepting help is difficult for both of them
Their two sons live far away and are hit hard by their problems. Son Tom (Lars EIDINGER) lives in Berlin and is somewhat successful as a conductor, but is hopelessly entangled in private quarrels. Daughter Ellen (Lilith STANGENBERG) lives in Hamburg and is so addicted to an alcohol-fueled lifestyle that she wakes up in Latvia after a night of drinking. It’s true! Both deal in different ways with their parents’ infirmity and their own inadequacies.
A melancholic film from the German-speaking world!
The fact that the film does not become boring in its three hours is thanks to the fantastic cast, which also includes Anna BEDERKE, Robert GWISDEK, Saerom PARK, Saskia ROSENDAHL and Ronald ZEHRFELD. German actors Corinna HARFOUCH (nominated for the EUROPEAN FILM AWARD 1989 for TREFFEN IN TRAVERS) and Hans Uwe BAUER received the GERMAN FILM AWARD of the year 2024 for their splendid performances. The showdown at the coffee table between HARFOUCH and EIDINGER is one of the most impressive things seen in German cinema in recent years. The Lunies family is unhappy in its own way. Haven’t we seen enough of that already?
Yes and no
Of course, as a viewer you wonder whether this is typically German (or at least Northern German) or whether it would be possible in other cultures. But Matthias GLASNER aims very high and takes inspiration from cinema greats such as Ingmar BERGMAN and Federico FELLINI. After all, it’s not for nothing that Tom Lunies prefers to watch the four-hour TV version of FANNY OCH ALEXANDER (1983) on Christmas Eve. And the character played by Robert GWISDEK (in real life, HARFOUCH’s son) reminds me, at least, of Steiner played by Alain CUNY in LA DOLCE VITA (1959). Of course, depressing German cinema is not for everyone.
But the way the story is so close to reality has a really special impact that you should definitely expose yourself to
Highly recommended!