Wanted

The Austrian cabaret film is an own chapter in the film history book. There is nothing like it in Germany or in other countries. One Austrian comedian writes a screenplay, and all the others come together and act in the movie. Of course, the movie is funny but it is also supposed to have some deep insights and social criticism. Usually, the director's name is Harald Sicheritz. Some are more sophisticated, others are funnier. All of them are successful.

„Wanted` belongs to the second type: many gags, some of them really funny, but they are separate and unable to build up a continuous storyline. „Wanted` is like a long-long episode of a sitcom, without false laughs in the background. Everything is spoofed, but not spoofed enough to call it real criticism.

And the ending, of course, has to be „sad`. It has to make the audience „think`. „Wanted` is the worst cabaret film I've ever seen. That's a pity because there are others with Alfred Dorfer that are almost great: „Freispiel` for instance, or, my favourit: „Indien`. „Wanted` is forgettable, and also unable for selling it to the Germans because they wouldn't even understand the gags.

I didn´t expect too much when I went to see this movie, but in the end I have to say I was surprised how good it was. It´s both funny and thoughtful, it makes you think about your daydreams and our desire to escape from reality sometimes. The screenplay contains some wonderfully crazy and funny scenes, it is well acted and all in all it makes a movie really worth seeing.

So what does this movie tell us about our society? It's better to be insane. Michael Niavarani acted outstanding, and I think Alfred Dorfer made one of his childhood-dreams come true when he wrote the role of this Clint-Eastwood-Style-Cowboy for himself. On the other side, the cynical part of the character was something to laugh about, with the possibility to get in more or less deep thoughts. I say, nobody has to choose between living in reality and escaping to a dreamworld - stay in both of them, but always respect the borders...

It's no fault to watch this movie! The best austrian one since "Indien".