50/45
Her joy is temporary as his health deteriorates rapidly
Scenario
Lissy enjoys the deterioration of her husband Gerd at home. Even Leo TOLSTOY knew that every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. This is also clear to German film director Matthias GLASNER, who was awarded the Silver Bear at the BERLINALE 2024 for his new film DYING. But he can add a North German Protestant variation to the theme, which further increases the melancholy of the families. Lissy Lunies (Corinna HARFOUCH) and her husband Gerd (Hans Uwe BAUER) live in a small North German town, and old age is already taking its toll.
Receiving help is difficult for both of them
. Their two children live far away, and their own problems are taking their toll. The son Tom (Lars EIDINGER) lives in Berlin and is somewhat successful as a conductor, but is hopelessly entangled in private disputes. Daughter Ellen (Lilith STANGENBERG) lives in Hamburg and is so committed to a lifestyle of alcohol intoxication that she wakes up in Latvia after drinking. It’s true!
A melancholic film from the German-speaking world!
Both deal with their parents’ disabilities and their own shortcomings in different ways. The fact that the film never gets boring during its three-hour run time is due to the fantastic cast, which also includes Anna BEDERKE, Robert GWISDEK, Saerom PARK, Saskia ROSENDAHL and Ronald ZEHRFELD. German actors Corinna HARFOUCH (EUROPEAN FILM AWARD nominee 1989 for TREFFEN IN TRAVERS) and Hans Uwe BAUER have been awarded the German Film Award 2024 for their brilliant performances. The showdown between HARFOUCH and EIDINGER at the coffee table is one of the most moving things to have been seen in German cinema in recent years. The Lunies family is unhappy in its own way.
Yes and no
Haven’t we seen enough of it already? Of course, as a film viewer you ask yourself whether this is typically German (or at least North German) or whether it would be possible in other cultures. But Matthias GLASNER aims very high and takes his cues from film 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 Alain CUNY’s Steiner in LA DOLCE VITA (1959).
I definitely recommend it!
Of course, a depressing German film is not everyone’s cup of tea. But the way the story is so close to reality has a very special effect that you should definitely expose yourself to.