Directed by:
Markus SchleinzerScreenplay:
Markus SchleinzerCinematography:
Gerald KerkletzComposer:
Lorenz DangelCast:
Michael Fuith, David Rauchenberger, Christine Kain, Ursula Strauss, Victor Tremmel, Gisela Salcher, Simon Jaritz, Markus Schleinzer, Gerda Drabek (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
A protégé of Michael Haneke, Markus Schleinzer's Michael is a triumph of uneasy cinema. With an unorthodox level of restraint, the director tells the story of a dull office drone who keeps a kidnapped young boy locked in his house. Despite its subversive edge, Michael successfully drains the shock out of a frightening premise and instead delivers a keen observational thriller. From its opening minutes, Michael reveals its alarming plot with a patient, naturalistic atmosphere. (Artificial Eye)
(more)Reviews (2)
A short story about a lonely guy
()
A mature, focused and precise debut by casting director Jessica Hausner and Michael Haneke. The rumor that this is Haneke-style plagiarism is false. Schleinzer learned a lot from his master (sharp editing, a cool, analyzing camera, TV coverage in the background), but he's going his own way. He is far from being a surgical precise pathologist of the plot, and he is not afraid to immerse himself in it, to use sarcasm, connect events more and not make only narrow Haneke fragments of chance. Michael is a riveting dive into the abnormal normality of a pedophile. Despite the heated theme, he has a measured and civilian tone, he is able empathize and does not manipulate. The hypnotic sequence of scenes at the end escalates and ends with a typical cut "to the pace" just when it is supposed to end. Next to Dresen's Stopped on Track, the bright highlight of the 46th annual Karlovy Vary IFF.
()