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Reviews
Hallam Foe (2007)
Like Amelie for men, with cracking dialog and a bit more sex
I saw this film at the Fantasy Filmfest in Munich and instantly fell in love with it. Why? Not only is it showing Edinburgh in it's entire beauty but it's fun with a lead who is odd but who you instantly like and really care for. A lot of the scenes are great payoffs where you just think: 'Hooray, I so much wished that he would do something like that and it really happened, brilliant!', something that made it so enjoyable. And yeah the music is doing a great part, it's well acted with great dialog and heartfelt: watch it. It's not perfect of course, objectively the film would deserve a 7 to 8 (feels a bit constructed, some dialog on the nose), but who cares. It's one of the few contemporary films in Scotland where people don't shoot up in a rotten skyscraper in Glasgow and it's basically the kind of film I would like to make: A male driven love story!
Schlaflos (2006)
Beautiful little film about love, music and proper resolutions in life
I saw this film at it's German premiere in Munich and was quite positively surprised.
Ben is getting dumped by his girlfriend per video message and starts with some interesting plans for his future: He will start to smoke, he will never sleep again (that's what the title Schlaflos refers to) and he will keep on driving far, far away. Until he meets Peter of course whose love to music and good will nature might bring him back on a more healthy path in life.
Schlaflos tells an interesting little story about life, love and music. And especially music, the love for it and it's ability to change your life plays a really big part in it and therefore the film is crammed with a lot of good and well produced songs from some upcoming Austrian bands.
I liked the musician Peter quite a lot who has some of the best lines in the film, which is filled with some warm humored dialog with quite some references to modern day pop culture and even (as it plays in Salzburg) The Sound of Music. Kudos especially to one of the greatest McDonalds fan speeches ever and that drunken guy at the bar telephone. I'm still not exactly sure about leading role Ben as he is just a bit to much Mr. Everybody for me to really be engaging for me.
The film works quite well in it's 40 odd minute runtime. It's never boring and neither does it feel rushed at any point.
It's technically well produced with good sound and lighting. The only thing here that's really disturbing might be Peter, when he's singing. Not that is voice is bad or so, the problem is that you will instantly hear that it's not his own. That said, I have to say again that the song's that he's singing are pretty damn good, with or without the right singing voice.
OK, let's come to an end. If you have the chance to see this uplifting film anywhere then give it a try, otherwise you might just start smoking and drive into the endless night.