Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Breathing (2011)

Breathing • Atmen (2011)
Breathing • Atmen (2011)

Genre: Drama
Director: Karl Markovics
Starring: Thomas Schubert, Karin Lischka, Gerhard Liebmann, Georg Friedrich
Language: German
Duration: 90 min.
Rating: 6.9  

Summary:
A 19-year-old ex-convict attempts to build a new life amidst his overriding guilt.



Breathing is the directorial debut from longtime Austrian actor Karl Markovics. It premiered in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and was Austria's official submission to the 84th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

Set in a modern and almost nondescript Vienna, this is a quiet observation of Roman (Thomas Schubert), a young man serving the end of a criminal sentence in a juvenile detention center. Soon up for parole, he is afforded day passes to the city in order to seek employment. He winds up taking a position with the city morgue, a job which forces him to face the many ghosts of his past as well as the uncertainty of his future life outside of prison.

Markovics displays a pleasing yet detached visual style, filling his widescreen frame with a subdued palette and precise compositions from a mostly static camera. Each long take is carefully presented in a variety of shots that capture both the tight claustrophobic feeling of being behind cell walls and also the wide open expanse of the outside world. As well, there are a series of very interesting and symbolic scenes that cleverly play on the title of the film, including some impressively executed underwater shots.

Schubert handles the central performance with a subtle and low key manner. The material is such that he doesn't really get the chance to show much range, but he is solid, his awkwardness around others is always believable, and most importantly his honest portrayal of Roman's internal struggle makes us want to care about him.

The problem is despite all that, everything is just so deliberately and unremittingly restrained. All of the potential confrontations, conflicts, and setbacks are stifled before they get a chance to develop into anything of substance. This along with the cold and clinical nature of the cinematography prevents the film from ever reaching any real emotional impact.

Bonjour Tristesse

Breathing • Atmen (2011)

Breathing • Atmen (2011)

Breathing • Atmen (2011)

Breathing • Atmen (2011)

Breathing • Atmen (2011)

Breathing • Atmen (2011)

Breathing • Atmen (2011)

Breathing • Atmen (2011)

5 comments:

FrontRoomCinema said...

I saw this last year at a festival. I think I remember liking it a bit more than you did matey. 

I was really touched by the scene with the big burly guy delicately handling the washing of the recently deceased. I was moved greatly.

Mette said...

Heard of this one, but glad I didn't watch it. Judging from your review and the screenshots, it seems to be extremely depressing. 

d_4 said...

I dunno, it sounds cool. It looks great. I just feel it's gonna be a bit of a depressed watch.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Yes I agree that scene was well done, but the rest of it was a little too numb for me to really enjoy.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I didn't find it too depressing, actually my biggest issue was I came out of it without feeling much at all.

Thanks for reading!

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