I'm a great fan of Klaus Maria Brandauer, I can't deny it. So I was quite happy when I heard that he headlines a big-screen release again this year, shortly after his 70th birthday. Sadly, he's toned down considerably since his 60th birthday, so one must catch every chance there is to see him.
I went into the film without having the slightest clue who Wilhelm Reich was, except some very basic information I caught from the trailer. And I found myself occasionally quite confused about what was going on in detail. Unfortunately, when it came to his studies, it's definitely an advantage if you prepare yourself or know a lot about the topic anyway. Occasionally it goes pretty deep in the gray matter of physics and biology. Otherwise, it was as much fun as I hoped for watching Brandauer dig deep into the character for almost two hours, especially when Reich was interacting with all the characters that cross his path, for example bonding with his daughter. The supporting cast consists of lesser-known German, British and American actors, but is not really given much to work with. Which is a bit of a pity as Julia Jentsch, Birgit Minichmayr and also Gary Lewis have proved on several occasions in the past that they can hold their own against the big names.
It's all a Klaus Maria Brandauer show and playing a character caught between reason and obsession he delivers one of the best male performances of 2012, especially if you look beyond the American border. My personal favorite was the heartbreaking scene towards the end when he's instructed to destroy the work of his lifetime.
I went into the film without having the slightest clue who Wilhelm Reich was, except some very basic information I caught from the trailer. And I found myself occasionally quite confused about what was going on in detail. Unfortunately, when it came to his studies, it's definitely an advantage if you prepare yourself or know a lot about the topic anyway. Occasionally it goes pretty deep in the gray matter of physics and biology. Otherwise, it was as much fun as I hoped for watching Brandauer dig deep into the character for almost two hours, especially when Reich was interacting with all the characters that cross his path, for example bonding with his daughter. The supporting cast consists of lesser-known German, British and American actors, but is not really given much to work with. Which is a bit of a pity as Julia Jentsch, Birgit Minichmayr and also Gary Lewis have proved on several occasions in the past that they can hold their own against the big names.
It's all a Klaus Maria Brandauer show and playing a character caught between reason and obsession he delivers one of the best male performances of 2012, especially if you look beyond the American border. My personal favorite was the heartbreaking scene towards the end when he's instructed to destroy the work of his lifetime.