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Matthias Glasner’s movie is a dark comedy that explores the dysfunctional dynamics of a family, reminiscent of Jonathan Franzen’s style. While it may not be considered deep, it is highly entertaining and worth watching. The film delves into the age-old theme of what we inherit from our parents and the consequences of rejecting that inheritance. The talented German actor Lars Eidinger plays an orchestra conductor, and it’s no surprise that his performance at the Berlin Philharmonic results in a major and cringe-worthy disaster, similar to Cate Blanchett’s character Lydia Tár’s breakdown in the same location two years prior.
Eidinger portrays the character of Tom, who is emotionally reserved and on the verge of undertaking the most significant project of his professional life. This project involves performing Sterben, also known as Dying, a composition for orchestra and choir written by Tom’s irritable and gloomy friend, Robert Gwisdeck. During rehearsals, Robert constantly interferes, causing Tom to doubt himself and insulting the musicians. Robert also struggles with determining whether his work is meaningful or just worthless kitsch. The film itself reflects this uncertainty as the one public performance elicits mixed reactions from the audience.
Tom’s current situation is complicated as he has been asked by his pregnant ex-girlfriend, who he is still in love with, to be her birthing partner. This is causing him to struggle with the role of a quasi-dad. Meanwhile, his sister Lilith Stangenberg, who is a talented musician, only shares her gift when she is intoxicated. She works as a dental assistant and is involved in an affair with her married boss. However, her frequent drunken and hungover states put her patients at risk during dental procedures.
The two siblings, Tom and Lissy, have both inherited their musical talent from their mother, Lissy, who taught herself to play the accordion. However, Lissy is currently battling cancer and a bowel condition that leaves her unable to care for her husband, Gerd, who has dementia. This leads to a chaotic family crisis that may or may not bring them closer together. Tom will have to come to terms with the fact that he has inherited his mother’s emotional coldness. In a brutally honest and comical conversation between mother and son, it is revealed that they have always despised each other, even since Tom’s childhood. This detachment has actually fueled Tom’s success in his career.
Furthermore, the fact that his parents are on their deathbed does not add any new depth to his rendition of a musical composition titled “Dying”, nor does it effectively address his emotional stagnation. However, it does create a sense of fresh beginnings – as the temporary reconciliation with his sister leads her to attend his public performance, which in turn triggers a pivotal event that brings both the music and Tom himself more recognition.
This is a bleak, bold, extravagantly crazy story which is emotionally incorrect at all times. Perhaps it could have been produced as a steaming-TV production but that would have deprived audiences of the pleasures of swallowing it whole, albeit divided into sections introduced by low-tech, Lars Von Trier style chapter headings. There’s a lot of life in it.
Source: theguardian.com
