Il est de retour

In the very start the movie seems so innocent and a little silly. The colors are all bright. The humor though is really entertaining and i like that the Germans can joke about this topic themselves. As the movie goes on we see a lot of footage of ordinary Germans saluting Hitler and complaining about the immigrants, it connects really good with the time we live in. The movie gets more and more serious, and the main character finds out it's the real Hitler. I think the well made transition from being all innocent and humorous describes Nazi Germany. No one thought it would go this far. Really touched me even though i've seen quite a lot of movies about Nazi Germany. 9/10

The movie shows Hitler in a current day setting. Which at first is very humorous, but during the movie it turns from just funny into awkward and beyond. There are great scenes in which the movie refers to other movies about Hitler, like "Der Untergang", but also hilarious scenes in which the absurdity of a present day Hitler are just fun. The turn of the movie is subtle and fascinating. You only notice it after it has already happened, which to me reflects the real way this would occur. It even happens that at some point the audience questions its own laughter. This movie is fun to experience, but also confronting in the upcoming changes in political landscape.

So watch out, it is not just a comedy!

"Er ist wieder da": he is back again in English is a MUST SEE. First of all it is a really good insight in how Hitler influenced the German people and finally gained their trust. It is black humor but one of a amazing reality at that time and with a bitter similarity with the social status in Germany and Holland due to the huge flow of asylum seekers. A film to see for the young and the old. and good to see with your children ( like we did) Do'nt be foled by frustrated reviewers who have an opinion without having seen the movie. ( I call this " the Caligula " syndrome ,also one of the most underrated movies of all time: showing the reality of history !!!)

"Even Poland still exists! This war has been useless!" erupts Adolf Hitler not too long after the movie has started. This is one of the many instances one has to fight the urge to spit one's drink all over the place. A fish out of water if there was ever one, Look Who's Back puts an outrageous twist on the stuff of legend (Elvis not dead, neither Marylin, or MJ) and precipitates a resurrected Hitler in contemporary Germany. The Fürher still thinks he's on command; harsh reality quickly enlightens him: he is a laughing stock, with a future in stand up comic.

This movie is way better that it should be, a miracle walk on a very, very tight rope. The first reason is of course the delightful performance of Oliver Masucci, unrecognisable behind his moustache. Compared to him, the rest of the cast is a bit run-of-the-mill, but most of the scenes involving public appearances have been improvised, and what the common German people have to say about a Hitler comeback is as hilarious as it is frightening.

What could have been a series of vignettes à la Sacha Baron Cohen takes the trouble of developing a plot and various characters, to whom Hitler reacts with a mix of genuine passion for "the German people" and a sly denial of anything racist or xenophobic. He's the perfect politician, with an answer to any question and at least three escape routes planned for any quagmire.

Carefully editing a mix of newsreel (the Angela Merkel cameo, gratified with "the charisma of a cold noodle", is priceless), movie references (the Leni Riefenstahl opening title, the now-iconic Bruno Ganz' bunker scene, except it's oh so cleverly attributed to the villain of the piece) and guerrilla-style impromptu meetings, Look Who's Back manages to balance serious issues (far too many to list) and fleeting fads shedding a cruel light on our social networking culture. From an online "Adolf Hitler make- up tutorial" to a "I hate everyone but Hitler" tweet and the demonstration that Facebook is useless at recruiting Hitler Jungen, naturally springs the conclusion – it shames one to write it – that "no one ever stay mad at Hitler for very long".

Chaplin's The Great Dictator was a brave movie because it was fighting on the front of an ugly war. Look Who's Back adapts this sense of emergency and combativeness to our desperately stupid modern times. The worst thing Hitler can do is kill a puppy. Gasing whole families was "all a joke", as asserted by the latest generation of one of said families.

What to think of the world we live in, the duty of memory, the atrocities that constellated the 20th century, when one pees itself watching the most reviled person in history punctuating his nazi salute by the phrase "See you soon, Nigga"? If this blog has a meaning at all, it has found his first authentic modern monster. Bad news is it's a real one; good news is it's desperately funny.

How to make a comedy out of very tragic events and characters? Adrian Brody did it in "Life Is Beautiful" about life in a concentration camp. "Look Who's Back" does it via the premise that Adolf Hitler returns to modern day Germany. Of course everyone believes that he is an actor - one who disturbingly never steps out of character. The audience knows that he cannot - as he actually is Hitler. Much of the film is humorous as Hitler tries to reestablish himself as "The Fuhrer" and tries to understand and cope with modern day technology and attitudes.

Oliver Masucci is brilliant as Hitler -playing the role so straight that he became very scary near the end. The brilliance of Hitler was aptly demonstrated as people began responding to the hate - filled rhetoric he employed on various television shows. In real life the industrialists supported Hitler because they were sure they could control him - they could not. The church supported him because they thought he would be useful to them and that they could control him - they could not. Finally the German Army threw in with him because they wanted to get rid of their rivals - Hitler's "brown shirt" Army - the Sturmabteilung (SA). He got rid of Strasser and Rohm and thousands of others as he dismantled the organization which carried him to power. But alas the Army also could not control him.

In the movie, he becomes a media star because of viewership and ratings. We see glimpses of the audience saying like "I think I agree with him, and he makes a lot of sense." The TV moguls are building their careers on his outrageousness and resulting popularity.

His grasp on people is creepy, insidious and feels quite realistic. This film shows you how riveting he could be - and gives you a glimpse into how he came to power.

So, beyond laughs - the message clearly is that this could happen again. We must be aware of potential dictators in our midst. A few people in the movie saw that he really was Hitler - and they were discarded at the end of the movie.

This movie is not a condemnation of Germany - past or present. Hitler in the movie postulates at the end of the film that we cannot get rid of him - because he is a part of us. I hope that is not true.