Skenbart - en film om tåg

A fascinating puzzle of motifs and influences that transform the train space into an allegorical and connotation-charged space – from the black-and-white fatefulness of a noir film, to the classic "whodunit" detective story, to the existential grotesqueness of Trier's Europa. Dalle excellently juggles moods, sly philosophical dialogues, in which there is a spark between appearance and reality, between religiosity and greed; he jumps to grotesque elements, through playful changes of perspective the camera induces completely opposing feelings, and Illusions become an exciting and cinematic language-stuffed spectacle of a ridiculously tragic human existence in illusions and disillusionments. Unfortunately, its steam runs out over time, the "Hitchcock", "Lynch" and "Nordic" styles get old, and this train arrives in Berlin on the self-purpose idle of ever more shallow jokes. Its true corrosivity fades out (partially replaced by ugly CGI exteriors) and there is "only" a quirky black comedy whose creator wanted to show perhaps too generous a flourish. (09.02.2011)

A unique film that some people might find boring but I was entertained throughout. However, I was let down by the humor in some parts, which didn't quite hit my minimum threshold. It's a shame because in other instances, the creators demonstrated they were more than capable of delivering. (20.10.2021)