David R. Walker

Posts Tagged ‘Felix Kammerer’

Frankenstein

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, Charles Dance, David Bradley, Christian Convery

Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes

Film Rating: 8 out of 10

Please note this film is only available on Netflix

Ever since Mexican director Guillermo del Toro burst onto the cinema world stage with his extraordinary Oscar winning Spanish language film Pan’s Labyrinth twenty years ago in 2006, del Toro has been a director to watch. He helmed such brilliant films as The Shape of Water and Nightmare Alley.  Now del Toro takes on with relish the Victorian Gothic re-imagining of Mary Shelley’s Gothic horror novel Frankenstein.

With Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein we get the perspective of both the inventor and the creature which has been invented. The monster in this case is expertly played by rising star, the tall and handsome Australian actor Jacob Elordi (Saltburn). Elordi’s performance is brilliant as the naïve, immortal but super-strong monster who only understands that men are cruel and violent.

Frankenstein is set in mid 19^th century Europe and all praise has to go the superb costume designs by Kate Hawley and the stunning production design by Tamara Deverell. Frankenstein is a dark and contemplative film about the nature of creation and the ethics of Dr Frankenstein brilliantly played by Oscar Isaac (A Most Violent Year) who should have also received an Oscar nomination.

Frankenstein is supported by an array of talented character actors expertly chosen for their menace and their beauty. Charles Dance (White Mischief, Gosforth Park, The Imitation Game) plays Victor Frankenstein’s cruel father Baron Frankenstein and Oscar winner Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained) plays the scheming and wealthy arms manufacturer Harlander and Felix Kamerer (All Quiet on the Western Front) plays Frankenstein’s unsuspecting younger brother William.

Then there is radiance of Mia Goth as Elizabeth resplendent in dazzling Victorian outfits which sets her quite apart from the vicious and egotistical men. Goth’s character is the only one that feels true compassion for the Creature and he reciprocates his feelings for the gorgeous Elizabeth without realizing his own desire.

Frankenstein is superbly told from two opposing perspectives, but at the heart of such a lavish and spectacular film which beautifully captures the Victorian Gothic obsession with creatures and the afterlife, death and destruction, is a captivating performance by Jacob Elordi who physically embodies the awkwardness of the creature, it’s vulnerability and strength. The fact that Elordi is very tall made him the perfect actor to play the creature so savagely reassembled.

Frankenstein is beautifully done, violent and extraordinary, cruel and dazzling.

Director Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is a cinematic feast to behold and is highly recommended viewing. Frankenstein gets a film rating of 8 out of 10.

All Quiet on the Western Front

Director: Edward Berger

Cast: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Bruhl, Devid Striesow, Edin Hasanovic, Michael Witterborn, Sebastian Hulk, Anton von Lucke, Aaron Hilmer

Running time: 2 hours and 28 minutes

Film Rating: 8 out of 10

This film is only available on Netflix

Every year on the 11^th November at 11h00, England and some European countries mark Armistice Day which is when World War 1 ended but the significance of such an hour on such a day is clearly and brutally illustrated in director Edward Berger’s brilliant German anti-war film All Quiet on the Western Front, a 2022 remake of the 1930 film which won a Best Picture Oscar then.

This film is based on the famous German novel of the same name written by German soldier and World War I survivor Erich Maria Remarque published in 1929. The 2022 version has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

If viewers love a really brilliant war film, then All Quiet on the Western Front is highly recommended viewing, an epic film masterfully directed by Edward Berger and featuring an entirely German and Austrian cast including Felix Kammerer as the main character Paul Baumer, a young and idealistic German teenager who like his compatriots at school get pulled into the blind patriotism of German war fever as the German army is battling the French in the incredibly brutal trench warfare on the Western Front, the border between Germany and France. For complete authenticity watch this film in German with English subtitles.

To counterpoint all the violence, horror and utter bloodshed, the narrative also focuses on the diplomatic mission led by Germany to sue for peace with the French, a task given to diplomat Matthias Erzberger wonderfully played by Golden Globe nominee Daniel Bruhl (Rush). The more famous Daniel Bruhl (Inglourious Basterds, 7 Days in Entebbe, Woman in Gold) also served as executive producer of All Quiet on the Western Front and was instrumental on getting this 21^st century version of the film made and premiered at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022.

As the hours approach for the ceasefire, a bloodthirsty general is determined to continue fighting the French right up until the last minute before the armistice takes effect, much to the detriment of the 78^th Infantry Reserve Regiment in which Paul Baumer is part of along with his fellow soldiers Kat played by Albrecht Schuch, Kropp played by Aaron Hilmer and Tjaden played by Bosnian actor Edin Hasanovic. Collectively they represent the Iron Youth of Germany.

All Quiet on the Western Front, like similar war films including Sam Mendes’s brilliant 1917 and Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan is a gritty, stark and bloody war film about the meaninglessness of trench warfare and the unnecessary deaths of over 3 million people, many of them young men.

Beautifully shot and extremely captivating, All Quiet on The Western Front gets a film rating of 8 out of 10 and is highly recommended viewing. It’s a fascinating anti-war film about the brutalities of close combat.