A mix of dark humor and deep reflection on family and our friendly or romantic ties. This is what German filmmaker Matthias Glasner offers us with Sterben (Dying), presented this year in competition at the Berlinale.
Do you like Ruben Östlund? You’ll love Matthias Glasner. In his latest film presented in competition at the 74th Berlinale, Sterben (Dying), the German director explores for three hours—without us being bored for a single moment—our small and great cowardices, what moves us in our tormented lives, and especially what binds us. Because beneath its exterior of a farce with sharp black humor, this film is a much deeper reflection on the importance of our emotional and loving bonds, often complex but so essential on a day-to-day basis.
On the other hand, Sterben is a requiem for the family when it becomes dysfunctional. Here, a dying father, a mother who never truly loved her own children, and siblings who share nothing in common. The humor is biting but never vulgar, even if the filmmaker often approaches the border. Irony is always justified and says something about the characters, what they are going through, but also about us spectators who watch them.
Sterben is a great film, which could well win the Golden Bear this year. And in a great film, there is always at least one scene that grabs you by the guts and makes you say, that’s cinema because damn, the emotion is grandiose. Here, it is a concert led by a conductor in memory of his best composer friend, who recently passed away. The incredible performance of Lars Eidinger who plays this conductor, the main character of this feature film, could well earn him an acting award. Response in a few hours…
