Film Reviews by dl

I love a good road movie and this one surpassed all expectations taking us from the slum district of Berlin and winding up in Wisconsin searching for that American dream, this is definitely my type of movie and so good i watched it twice the second time with Herzog’s wonderful audio commentary.Both where equally fascinating from its array of real life characters that include real Berlin street gangster’s ,pimps, pro’s and even an old actor who Herzog was warned about that had/was going insane, and then we have probably the most fascinating character/actor i ever seen on screen the wonderful Bruno S star of Herzog’s brilliant Kasper Hauser, it is more of the same from Bruno but every time he appears on screen it just becomes so mesmerising to watch on what his reactions are going to be.Although the film gets pretty bleak at times it still manages to throw in a decent amount of humour and absurdity but for me its brilliance lies in its uber realistic performances and believable character portrayals, it was also pretty heartbreaking listening to Herzog telling Bruno S fascinating but very sad backstory. 8+/10

Another Road movie that passed me by and even though i’m not really big on the car/race genre i still got a lot of enjoyment out of this, yes its another slice of 70’ Americana that drifts from character to character place to place but one that flows effortlessly and with such great ease, no backstory or names are given to these characters it’s not necessary, where there to feel the freedom and care-free attitude of this time taking in its barren roads/gas stations and diners and just going along with the ride.Performance wise it works really well by putting in first time actors from the music world James Taylor/Dennis Wilson and pitching them alongside the always watchable and excellent Warren Oates.Its a film thats well deserving of its cult status and one thats dated well thanks to its realistic performances/great visual look and in its chosen soundtrack of its era.8/10

Wowser’s this as to be the most mind blowing and puzzling movie i have ever seen, its a film where every single detail means something from its glorious visual setting to its odd character placement’s with their even stranger and complex dialogue but i really had no clue what was happening, it’s clear to see why the film is held in such high regard and can clearly be seen to of had such a massive influence and impact from the cinematic greats such as Kubrick stretching all the way through to Nolan.Did i like it ? visually it hit all the buttons but i was totally lost in its labyrinth of time and space and couldn’t make head nor tail of it, that was until after the film ended i watched an extra explaining at least 5 different versions/takes on what was happening through the film, talk about enlightenment i was ready to give the film a meagre 5/10 mainly for visuals but would have no trouble now upping that to 7 and damn sure this will hit the 9 position on a rewatch.Mind well and truly Blown