Reviews

This may be an unfair comparison, but take the elements of male friendships and self- discovery from Trainspotting and add the pacing, violence, frustrations, and relationships from Romper Stomper, and you'll get a feel for what this excellent film is like visually and sensually. A worthy round of applause to Director Bonengel and Actors Blumel and Hildebrandt and crew. Especially noteworthy, from an American perspective, is how powerfully and unapologetically the frontal nudity scenes were done in the prison. (American directors and film stars are cowards in comparison when addressing themes of such violence, sexuality, pain and need.) The directing, filming, lighting, acting and editing perfectly highlight the powerful aggressiveness and absolute vulnerability of the characters in a way that does not betray the craftsmanship that went into the production. Kudos to the entire team of Fuhrer Ex. The film is emotionally charged: uncomfortable, painful, tender, funny, and exciting. Highly-recommended.

Think Sondheim's "Into the Woods" set in an urban jungle, where a series of stories intertwine on the eve of global catastrophe. Add the hip funky coolness of Gregg Araki's "Nowhere" and a dash of sexual sophistication and humor from Hitchock's "North by Northwest" (or maybe Spellbound) and you'll get a feel for what this film is like. The plot centers around an alien visitor (Asaki) sent to save the world, while amnesiac Joker and bright-eyed auslander Anna try to get a grip on life. Add a web of side plots and you end up with a wonderful film worthy of the 102 minutes spent enjoying this movie.