Ich und Kaminski - directed by Wolfgang Becker
As part of the Academy Cinema's German Film Festival "Ich und Kaminski" (Me and Kaminski) is that rarity of cinema - a German comedy.
At least rare for me - I don't recall having seen one before.
I am sure that they are common in Germany itself but there is the oft repeated gag that German's don't have a sense of humour.
Of course it isn't true and at the very least we have this film to prove it.
But while on paper this is indeed a comedy it has a lot more on its mind.
Based on a 2003 novel of the same name "Ich und Kaminski" tells the story of an ambitious writer writing a biography of a famous artist named Kaminski who will do anything, say anything or upset anyone in order to do it.
The film starts with the announcement that Kaminski is dead.
There follows a montage of news footage in which we see Kaminski's public life play out.
Like the real footage mixed in with Tom Hanks performances in "Forrest Gump" we see Kaminksi become famous and mingle with Andy Warhol, The Beatles and many other notable celebrities.
His art is apparently inspired by his realisation that he is going blind but in effect it is a riff on modern art and artists like Warhol.
This section is very funny and sets a promising tone from the start.
We are introduced to the 'Ich' of the title - the likeable rogue Sebastian Zollner (Daniel Bruhl).
We see him on a train complaining about the power being out (it isn't) and imagining shooting to death the conductor who explains to him that as the train is running it must have power.
At other times his fantasies will include putting a clerk before a firing squad!
He removes a buxom young lady from his compartment by dictating a passage into a voice recorder that while about mountainous regions and wet valleys is of course about her.
Bruhl is perfect for the part.
He is a likeable actor and given that his behaviour is pretty much always reprehensible the character needs something to keep him onside with the audience.
It will be some time before we meet Kaminski but he is played by a barely recognisable Jesper Christensen.
Most viewers will no doubt know him best from his role in the Daniel Craig Bond movies as Mr White.
Here the 68 year old plays a 90 year old blind man and for me he is the highlight.
Kaminski is a mysterious figure who may or may not have lied about much of his life.
Kaminski is an observer of much of the goings on between Zollner and his loyal daughter Miriam and the endless hangers on who inhabit his house.
He frequently delights in the embarrassments that ensure as Zollner tries to infiltrate the group.
Zollner wants to write his biography in the hope that he will die and generate interest in the work.
He is not above delving around in the man's history, questioning friends both former and current until he obtains the nugget of information that he can use as leverage - the existence of Kaminski's one true love - Therese.
Zollner tells a lie - that Therese wants to see Kaminski and so the two men set off in search of her.
Along the way they meet a homeless man played by the great Denis Lavant ("A Very Long Engagement")
It is a film loaded with eccentrics, fantasy sequences and quirky flashes of comedy but the script doesn't fully commit to it.
The road trip takes a couple of comical twists and turns but it is disappointing that at the very point that the two men become closer and meet new people and the opportunity for humour is at its greatest the movie takes a turn into the serious.
By trying to be a moving drama on top of a farcical comedy the humour is hobbled and the drama sits uneasily with what has preceded it.
In all honesty there is a very, very funny movie in here but despite the stellar work of Bruhl and Christensen it never lives up to the early promise.
I laughed several times and I liked pretty much all of the performances and the use of paintings in transitions is very, very good.
But I did expect more from this and it started to drag around the halfway mark.
There is still plenty to enjoy however.
RATING: 70 / 100
CONCLUSION: An amusing comedy with an often uneasy dose of drama. The performances of Bruhl and Christensen carry it home though and there is enough here to recommend it.
Starring: Daniel Bruhl, Jesper Christensen, Amira Casar, Geraldine Chaplin, Denis Lavant, Bruno Cathomas, Jordis Triebel, Jan Decleir, Karl Markovics, Viviane de Muynck, Milan Peschel, Stefan Kurt
Screenplay: Wolfgang Becker & Thomas Wendrich
Music Score by: Lorenz Dangel
Cinematography: Jurgen Jurges
Cinematography: Jurgen Jurges
Edited by: Peter R Adam & Christoph Strothjohann
Running Time: 120 minutes
Language: German , French, Englishˇ
Rated: M - Language, sex scenes & nudity
Running Time: 120 minutes
Language: German , French, Englishˇ
Rated: M - Language, sex scenes & nudity
At least rare for me - I don't recall having seen one before.
I am sure that they are common in Germany itself but there is the oft repeated gag that German's don't have a sense of humour.
Of course it isn't true and at the very least we have this film to prove it.
But while on paper this is indeed a comedy it has a lot more on its mind.
Based on a 2003 novel of the same name "Ich und Kaminski" tells the story of an ambitious writer writing a biography of a famous artist named Kaminski who will do anything, say anything or upset anyone in order to do it.
The film starts with the announcement that Kaminski is dead.
There follows a montage of news footage in which we see Kaminski's public life play out.
Like the real footage mixed in with Tom Hanks performances in "Forrest Gump" we see Kaminksi become famous and mingle with Andy Warhol, The Beatles and many other notable celebrities.
His art is apparently inspired by his realisation that he is going blind but in effect it is a riff on modern art and artists like Warhol.
This section is very funny and sets a promising tone from the start.
We are introduced to the 'Ich' of the title - the likeable rogue Sebastian Zollner (Daniel Bruhl).
We see him on a train complaining about the power being out (it isn't) and imagining shooting to death the conductor who explains to him that as the train is running it must have power.
At other times his fantasies will include putting a clerk before a firing squad!
He removes a buxom young lady from his compartment by dictating a passage into a voice recorder that while about mountainous regions and wet valleys is of course about her.
Bruhl is perfect for the part.
He is a likeable actor and given that his behaviour is pretty much always reprehensible the character needs something to keep him onside with the audience.
 |
| Eccentrics, rogues and weirdoes.... Bruhl, Casar and far right - Christensen and the great Denis Lavant |
Most viewers will no doubt know him best from his role in the Daniel Craig Bond movies as Mr White.
Here the 68 year old plays a 90 year old blind man and for me he is the highlight.
Kaminski is a mysterious figure who may or may not have lied about much of his life.
Kaminski is an observer of much of the goings on between Zollner and his loyal daughter Miriam and the endless hangers on who inhabit his house.
He frequently delights in the embarrassments that ensure as Zollner tries to infiltrate the group.
Zollner wants to write his biography in the hope that he will die and generate interest in the work.
He is not above delving around in the man's history, questioning friends both former and current until he obtains the nugget of information that he can use as leverage - the existence of Kaminski's one true love - Therese.
Zollner tells a lie - that Therese wants to see Kaminski and so the two men set off in search of her.
Along the way they meet a homeless man played by the great Denis Lavant ("A Very Long Engagement")
It is a film loaded with eccentrics, fantasy sequences and quirky flashes of comedy but the script doesn't fully commit to it.
 |
| Fantasy sequences are frequently funny but it is the performances that truly shine |
By trying to be a moving drama on top of a farcical comedy the humour is hobbled and the drama sits uneasily with what has preceded it.
In all honesty there is a very, very funny movie in here but despite the stellar work of Bruhl and Christensen it never lives up to the early promise.
I laughed several times and I liked pretty much all of the performances and the use of paintings in transitions is very, very good.
But I did expect more from this and it started to drag around the halfway mark.
There is still plenty to enjoy however.
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