[REVIEWS] Films: Michael Haneke
Sep. 12th, 2011 05:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thewlisian_aferI have now officially seen and reviewed every bit of Michael Haneke's work that I (and probably you) can get my hands on. It's not everything he's done -- I'm still missing a lot (most) of his TV movie work -- but I've got my eye out for all of that, and I'm happy to have rated everything on his Netflix page. \o/
Code Unknown (2000)
German director Michael Haneke's stunning drama carefully interweaves the stories of a promising actress (Juliette Binoche), her photojournalist boyfriend (Thierry Neuvic), a young teacher of African descent (Ona Lu Yenke) and a Romanian illegal immigrant (Luminita Gheorghiu).On a bustling Paris street corner, their lives intersect for a fleeting moment, setting into motion a compelling portrait of life in a fractured, lonely world.
This film taught me that I could watch Juliette Binoche doing ironing in her underwear forever. Anyway, I enjoyed this film on a techical level; it's full of these very long takes and some rather good acting. But I felt really detached from all the characters, and the full title is "Code Unknown: Incomplete Tales of Several Journeys," so that should tell you something about the ... "plot." XD This is a good one if you're a student of film, or a pretentious wanker like me. Otherwise, give it a miss and look for something with fewer loose ends. [Rating: 3 stars]
The Piano Teacher (2002)
Isabelle Huppert stars as Erika, an emotionally repressed piano teacher still tied to her obsessive mother (Annie Girardot) and fast approaching spinsterhood, who sees an attractive student (Benoît Magimel) as a potential player in her dark sexual fantasies. Huppert is fascinating to watch in writer-director Michael Haneke's disturbing character study based on the novel by Nobel Literature Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek.
They're not kidding when they say "dark sexual fantasies." It wasn't so out there that I heard/saw anything new, but ... man, there was a lot of dysfunction all packed into one character! And the ending was ... not what I expected. My overwhelming thought after I finished watching and let it settle in my brain for a bit was "Wow" at Isabelle Huppert. This is the first thing I've ever seen her in and I was really impressed. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Time of the Wolf (2003)
A family adapts to life in post-apocalyptic France in this intense drama, which follows Anne (Isabelle Huppert) and her family as they arrive at their country home to find the world has undergone a catastrophic event, and utter chaos reigns. Fearing for their lives, Anne and her children flee in search of a safe place, eventually taking refuge in a community of stunned survivors. Maurice Benichou, Lucas Biscombe and Patrice Chereau also star.
I watched this right after The Piano Teacher and I was thrilled to find that Isabelle Huppert starred again. I was wowed by her again, but this time I was also wowed by some of the other actors, particularly the girl who plays her daughter. And this story really appeals to me; I'm such a sucker for post-apocalyptic stuff. Add to that the fact that Haneke is the director, and it's almost like this movie was tailor-made for me. [Rating: 4 stars]
The White Ribbon (2009)
At a rural school in northern Germany in 1913, a form of ritual punishment has major consequences for students and faculty. But the practice may have bigger repercussions on the German school system -- and maybe even on the growth of fascism. Celebrated Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke helms this Golden Globe-winning, sumptuously photographed black-and-white drama that stars Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Tukur and Theo Trebs.
Whoever wrote this summary wasn't kidding when they said "sumptuously photographed." This movie was pretty. In the acting department, I was especially fond of Leonie Benesch, who played Eva. There were several really interesting characters and -- surprise! -- some of them were even likable! XD The pacing is a little slow and there is no solid resolution but, honestly, if you're watching a Haneke film and expect otherwise, you're doing it wrong. And the ending is still really good, anyway. [Rating: 4 stars]
Code Unknown (2000)
German director Michael Haneke's stunning drama carefully interweaves the stories of a promising actress (Juliette Binoche), her photojournalist boyfriend (Thierry Neuvic), a young teacher of African descent (Ona Lu Yenke) and a Romanian illegal immigrant (Luminita Gheorghiu).On a bustling Paris street corner, their lives intersect for a fleeting moment, setting into motion a compelling portrait of life in a fractured, lonely world.
This film taught me that I could watch Juliette Binoche doing ironing in her underwear forever. Anyway, I enjoyed this film on a techical level; it's full of these very long takes and some rather good acting. But I felt really detached from all the characters, and the full title is "Code Unknown: Incomplete Tales of Several Journeys," so that should tell you something about the ... "plot." XD This is a good one if you're a student of film, or a pretentious wanker like me. Otherwise, give it a miss and look for something with fewer loose ends. [Rating: 3 stars]
The Piano Teacher (2002)
Isabelle Huppert stars as Erika, an emotionally repressed piano teacher still tied to her obsessive mother (Annie Girardot) and fast approaching spinsterhood, who sees an attractive student (Benoît Magimel) as a potential player in her dark sexual fantasies. Huppert is fascinating to watch in writer-director Michael Haneke's disturbing character study based on the novel by Nobel Literature Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek.
They're not kidding when they say "dark sexual fantasies." It wasn't so out there that I heard/saw anything new, but ... man, there was a lot of dysfunction all packed into one character! And the ending was ... not what I expected. My overwhelming thought after I finished watching and let it settle in my brain for a bit was "Wow" at Isabelle Huppert. This is the first thing I've ever seen her in and I was really impressed. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Time of the Wolf (2003)
A family adapts to life in post-apocalyptic France in this intense drama, which follows Anne (Isabelle Huppert) and her family as they arrive at their country home to find the world has undergone a catastrophic event, and utter chaos reigns. Fearing for their lives, Anne and her children flee in search of a safe place, eventually taking refuge in a community of stunned survivors. Maurice Benichou, Lucas Biscombe and Patrice Chereau also star.
I watched this right after The Piano Teacher and I was thrilled to find that Isabelle Huppert starred again. I was wowed by her again, but this time I was also wowed by some of the other actors, particularly the girl who plays her daughter. And this story really appeals to me; I'm such a sucker for post-apocalyptic stuff. Add to that the fact that Haneke is the director, and it's almost like this movie was tailor-made for me. [Rating: 4 stars]
The White Ribbon (2009)
At a rural school in northern Germany in 1913, a form of ritual punishment has major consequences for students and faculty. But the practice may have bigger repercussions on the German school system -- and maybe even on the growth of fascism. Celebrated Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke helms this Golden Globe-winning, sumptuously photographed black-and-white drama that stars Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Tukur and Theo Trebs.
Whoever wrote this summary wasn't kidding when they said "sumptuously photographed." This movie was pretty. In the acting department, I was especially fond of Leonie Benesch, who played Eva. There were several really interesting characters and -- surprise! -- some of them were even likable! XD The pacing is a little slow and there is no solid resolution but, honestly, if you're watching a Haneke film and expect otherwise, you're doing it wrong. And the ending is still really good, anyway. [Rating: 4 stars]
