ShawnMHe

A dense, provoking and heartbreaking story that unfolds through the dialogues and faces of the dedicated actors with a unique fluidity uncommon in western movies. Mong-hong Chung isn't afraid of ditching a typical pace of storytelling and has carefully structured his visual poem to gradually challenge your perception of life. The realism of the lives of the main characters is masterfully shrouded by a sense of surrealness which is both disconnecting and provoking to the audience. A viewing that will make sure to have you wonder for a long time after the credits roll. It's currently available on Netflix and it's well worth your time and it will abundantly reward a patient audience.

The film evidently lacks cohesion, a valuable lesson on how to misuse the good template set up by its reputable predecessors. While the charm of Berlin and its people does shine through a few scenes, the majority of the stories fail to fulfill the even basic elements of good storytelling. Each story sets up a good premise only to disappoint the audience with an unjustifiable cliché ending, as if someone was yelling at the film makers to wrap up on the last days of the shoot. Overall a major let-down and Berlin simply does not deserve this.