Movie of the week – Der Mude Tod
Director Fritz Lang is best known for his 1927 sci-fi classic Metropolis. This week sees the release at the Irish Film Institute of his earlier silent epic Der Mude Tod (aka Destiny) in a newly restored version. The story of a woman who enters into a bargain with a personification of Death, the film features special effects that still impress almost a century later, and is an intriguing exploration of grief in post WWI Europe.
The Mummy
It’s a terrible week for new releases, a worrying sign of things to come over the summer season. The big release this week is The Mummy, Universal’s latest reboot of their classic monster. Starring Tom Cruise, this one mixes the horror elements of the 1930s original with the action adventure stylings of the more recent Brendan Fraser series, but they’re an ill fit and the movie isn’t likely to satisfy fans of either horror or action.
Norman
Richard Gere delivers one of his finest ever performances in Norman, an otherwise frustrating political drama that sees him play an enigmatic ‘fixer’, whose obsession with making connections causes trouble for the Israeli Prime Minister. The performances of Gere and an impressive ensemble cast just about save a film that often feels like it’s missing entire scenes.
Berlin Syndrome
In Berlin Syndrome, Teresa Palmer is an Aussie backpacker whose trip to the German capital leads to her being held captive by a handsome young Josef Fritzl wannabe in an otherwise deserted apartment block. Palmer offers a committed performance but the movie is completely lacking in originality and gets bogged down in the grimness of its setup.
My Cousin Rachel
The worst of an awful week is My Cousin Rachel, an adaptation of a classic Daphne du Maurier novel. Rachel Weisz plays her titular namesake, a beautiful widow suspected of killing her husband. This one’s a romantic thriller that’s utterly devoid of passion and thrills, the sort of drab period drama I thought British cinema had moved away from.
By Eric Hillis of themoviewaffler.com
