Mahler couldn't even stay awake through a movie about himself
Mahler On The Couch is not a German gem. It is a stylistic nightmare of zooms and novelty shots that make it almost unbearable to watch. Adlon Brother‘s period drama focuses on Gustav Mahler seeking advice from Sigmund Freud about his cheating wife. The film is a complete mess and could do with some therapy of its own.
I will admit that I was not overly exited about the content of the film. If I was more interested in Mahler or Freud I might have been able to see this film as glass half full instead of glass completely empty. I even thought that maybe I would become more interested in one of them because of the film. Unfortunately the films’ style was so distracting I was almost too disgusted to pay attention to the story at all.
The actors were all apparently trying to channel Klaus Kinski, and in doing so give some of the most over dramatic performances I have seen. I understand that having an unfaithful wife could be frustrating, but the way it comes through on the screen just made me roll my eyes. I am not saying in any way that the actors in this film are talentless, but Brother’s directing misses on almost every mark.
If you love over dramatic, wordy, historical dramas you might like Mahler On The Couch, I however did not.
Showtimes for Mahler On The Couch:
Friday, January 14th, 2011 7:00pm @ The Castro Theatre
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