Die Skrupellosen.com

This film (more like a poor-quality blown up video) was presented in its premiere here on October 21st by its Italian director, Swan. As eccentric and enigmatic as is his name, "Swan" asked the audience to enjoy the picture, though he had no idea what the dialogs were about, as he was an Italian, living in Austria, who speaks no German.

That he speaks no German is obvious. The lead actor (a black man, who speaks in African-accented French in some scenes) apparently does not either. His lines are delivered in monotone, language school - like dialogs. If he did not recite these lines phonetically, then he deserves an award for impersonating an actor who is delivering memorized phonetically learned lines, with no emotion.

The other actors may speak more naturally, but their acting is not much better. The plot, the acting, the look of the film suggest a "faux" trash film of the 70s and 80s. That may indeed be the director's intention. No other information about the film was available at the time of the 3 showings here, so who knows at this point?

The film was not even reviewed here, though "Swan" was one of the competing directors who attended the festival, and related seminars with other directors, film critics, cinema buffs and students. But, with over 400 films shown in 2 weeks, that's not too unusual. However, the film's page at the Festival Site, and in the program suggest a serious movie, presented in the New Directors Section of the Festival.

Not surprisingly, the film was among the least attended of the New Director's Section (according to the Festival's Site statistics), though it was shown on three different days and occasions. Many like me just couldn't believe how plainly awful this picture is, or were embarrassed they may have "misunderstood" it. As a German speaker, familiar with Vienna, I think I understood it, and realized I wasted almost two hours of my life on it.

This film is a perfect surreal comedy , everything is transported by a jumble of images of beautiful Innsbruck .

And the performances of the actors are never less than totally convincing .

It ' a ruthless and ironic portrait of the world of television and film seen from the point of view of trying to achieve through their own efforts a movie .

In the end everyone wins , even the bad ones .

It is a sensual , real , fascinating , at least for us , probably needs more of a vision to fully appreciate .

Do not miss it !