Michael

A short story about a lonely guy (11/06/2012)

A mature, focused and precise debut by casting director Jessica Hausner and Michael Haneke. The rumor that this is Haneke-style plagiarism is false. Schleinzer learned a lot from his master (sharp editing, a cool, analyzing camera, TV coverage in the background), but he's going his own way. He is far from being a surgical precise pathologist of the plot, and he is not afraid to immerse himself in it, to use sarcasm, connect events more and not make only narrow Haneke fragments of chance. Michael is a riveting dive into the abnormal normality of a pedophile. Despite the heated theme, he has a measured and civilian tone, he is able empathize and does not manipulate. The hypnotic sequence of scenes at the end escalates and ends with a typical cut "to the pace" just when it is supposed to end. Next to Dresen's Stopped on Track, the bright highlight of the 46th annual Karlovy Vary IFF. (06/07/2011)