Frère sommeil

...if I see another movie about a gay man obsessively in love with a straight man, I think I'll scream. Enough, already!!! I mean the object of desire in this case is not even that good-looking! The gay man was better looking, in fact. That said, I did find this an interesting movie and certainly one worth watching at least once, despite the over-the-top acting of most of the main players. It does have beautiful cinematography, an interesting score, and some effective moments (especially the scenes on the rock). What could easily be termed 'an interesting failure'.

the movie is based on the book written by the Austrian writer Robert Schneider and expands on it beautifully. it can be a bit difficult to follow and if you are looking for an action packed thriller, this is not the movie for you. The main character, Elias Alder, is born in 1803 into a town in the Austrian mountains. The town is so remote, that it is practically never visited by outsiders, and the inhabitants do not leave. there are only two families living in the village, continuously feuding, leading lives that go nowhere. here Elias is born with perfect (even supernatural) hearing. both the book and the movie illustrate the merciless life in a town that has been dying for for years and the life of a young man born with an extraordinary gift, which is worthless in the life and world he is born into. the tag-line "wer schlaeft liebt nicht" translates to "he who sleeps, does not love" - one of the lines from the movie - and the title give ample indication of the characters' futile lives. "schlafes bruder" or "sleep's brother" is death.

While certainly to many American viewers this film lacks the flare of Hollywood, but that's what it so exquisite about it. I am not exactly a film connoisseur, I am American foreign film fan and I know that this film probably does not appeal to the general public. However for those who like psychological thrillers and

stories about misunderstood and socially inept geniuses, this is amazing.

The music and cinematography is fantastic. Plus this film incorporated 3 of my favorite German actors. The way that the sound was utilized is just unbelievable as well.

For the intellectuals out there who appreciate art in all things, rent or buy this one.

This is a good film, actually. It's not extremely faithful to the novel, which is not a bad thing in itself, and if you know the novel, you will understand that there are some aspects of it that couldn't be expressed very well in a film. So they added and changed quite a bit of the story and expanded on the novel, which makes the film interesting to see even if you already know the book, but for some reason they apparently tried to "modernise" the character of Elsbeth by what she is made rather implausible. Still, it's a good movie, well executed, beautifully shot, with a great film score and great cast and acting, rather inspired.

If you want to see a film that is in the 1% of different; this is the film for you. It is eccentric, bizarre, beautiful, mesmerizing, horrific, and at times, a bit disjointed. The total effect, however, is unforgettable. The music alone is worth the price of your time. It has the feeling of a Hesse novel at times; with that mixture of beauty and horror. In this film, however, the hills truly are alive with the sound of music.