ThurstonHunger

After really enjoying "Bird" I wanted to seek out more of Franz Rogowski (and the director as well). This movie was well-regarded, and I can almost imagine this served as his audition for the more recent "Bird."

His character here is again gentle although with a hint of something not quite creepy, but potentially menacing. The backstory gets told, and there is a lapse where his Christian character here falls back in with his old crowd.

But he's a fish out of water there, having been taken under the wing by father figure Bruno (and into the various secret places inside the superstore by Bruno as well).

A silent accord is developed between them, and a similarly hushed infatuation falls over Rogowski's character for the fair maid Marion.

That said I have a bone to pick with the marketing people for the DVD which include "Sweet and ineffably uplifting" and "Mines the magical in the mundane."

Did they see a version with Meg Ryan and I dunno Paul Rudd? Sure there is resilient humanity here, but this feels a lot closer to "Nomadland" or "Dancer in the Dark" than a walk in the park.

I did catch a hint of reunification blues (along with an actual soundtrack with blues and other evocative sounds). Bruno pines for his good ol' days as a truckdriver in East Germany, and Rogowski in the extras talked about East German humor/working class greetings and such. I wish I understood that better but it was stored way up high beyond my mental forklift capability.

Anyways, the film offers an almost invisible hug amidst the weary characters (often shot from way up high in this massive store giving it an almost prison-like feeling). No actual embracing, but meaningful silences and eye contact, and a few Eskimo kisses.

Heard Bill Murray say he had a blast working with Pete Davidson a while back, but my guess is wherever Bill goes a blast will be had.

So maybe wait for your library gets a copy of this, and pray for a gag reel?

Outstanding cast on paper works hard on screen but is never really disarming, and as a result the movie ends up shooting blanks. Yeah there is a "deeper" meaning that gets delivered late at point blank range. But the character revealing it is sagacious mere moments before the flashback wherein he's just stupidly ignorant.

The cast, the audience, and even the Mafia deserve better. Sorry can only give this three silencers, ummm, I mean stars.

Saw this months ago, and was fortunate enough to see it with my son in the actual mall where the tale took place. We missed the "featured" showing with people from the movie in attendance by a couple of days, but did get to see their handiwork in blue tape silhouettes throughout the mall.

That said, I think this film is worth seeking out, and I hope to rewatch with my wife and other son one of these days. It does capture a lot of what art can do (helping in hospitals, healing in wrecked cities, encouraging youth to take chances, finding a higher path above the capitalist bottom line, inspiring blistering rock music - hello Lightning Bolt!!).

But it also shows how an artists life is a struggle, financially and anti-fascistically. Also how an artist with an overriding calling, and be more wed to that than their spouse.

Michael Townsend is certainly at the center of the film, and his charisma and confidence help get past the security guards positioned strategically around your heart.

I do also like the importance of documenting what you do, since you never know... See also Sun Ra new albums still coming out? Granted I could see how the little Secret might have been more special to a select few and had it never been exposed, ultimately I think it is good that it got out.

Also it may help to play air hockey with someone you love after watching the movie. It did for me...