Bjarne Mädel has become one of Germanys best known faces on the screen by bringing a light-heartedness into everyday characters, extracting the humour in human relations and communication without ridiculing those around him. This film, in which he stepped up to the directors chair, breathes that very sense of humour: Miscommunication, absurd, short-spoken encounters, mixed in with the rural wasteland that seems to be the perfect backdrop for this kind of humour-set up.
But - it all feels like you have seen it before. Crime shows are a major part of german television and many have tried it with a comedic spin. One of the first shots gives us a car passing by somebody, then: a wide-angle long shot of the car braking and backing up. One of the few bold camera moments and it feels like something out of comedys standard kit. Take "La Isla Minima", the spanish hit crime film, which has seen its german remake already but, with its rural setting and bearish town folk makes for a good comparison: The drone-shots it used might look outdated in a few years, reminding us of that short period in film history when drones became easily accessible and were used until the fascination wore off, but, they give the film a consistent look and unique feeling, which Sörensens design lacks.
So, Mädel, the creative mind he seemingly is, probably backed up by executives trusting in the power of his name, was bold enough to not only rely on the "crime but with funny characters"-formula but move on, which I highly welcome. But oh, the kind of path he would choose to go down I did not expect.
The nature of the crime I shall not mention here for the sake of leaving future viewers unprepared and neutral. It is sinister.
There is no border as to how dark a crime story can go but if you want to keep up a comedic spin, try to stay light. Fargo has its dark, underlying sinisterness, as well as many scandinavian crime productions but what Katenbüll has in store for us wipes the smile off your face and replaces it with nothing.
The dialogue tries to get you laughing (which does not even work too well, with some jokes - ordering food/a cup of coffee - the authors were even lazy enough to recycle) and then goes back to the main plot which is diving deeper and deeper into darkness.
They might have been aiming for a rollercoaster-ride experience with these ups and downs but this kind of experience only works if the viewer becomes the passenger. Overwhelmed by this huge spectrum of emotions and conditions, the viewer becomes a bystander, merely watching the winding rail but not feeling the highs and lows in their guts.
It is not us, it is Sörensen himself who is going on the rollercoaster. From the heights of sparkling comedic exchanges to the lows of panic attacks, we watch director/star Mädel display all he has in store as an actor but, personally, I did not feel attached.
Contrast is good, contrast is needed in a script. But if the evil outweighs the fun by so much, the viewer feels like he is watching a dramatic piece and the comedy feels out of place.
The more interesting feats of the characters were woven in as side plots to gain another minute or two but nothing ever comes to life. Sörensens colleague Holstenbeck might have been interesting but as soon as Sörensen leaves the frame, her role becomes lifeless.
Lets just skip discussing the dialogue. The sheer zombie-like script-reading can be excused for the younger part of the cast, yet with the older, appearantly experienced actors, it is a shame how directors still stick to the dogma of reading a script off a page instead of giving room, letting actors talk how real people talk and breathing life into words. Old news in German Film.
