Although the actors are big names in German and Austrian cinema, the movie itself turned out to be not even suitable for TV. The actors do not act but stay in there everyday routine with a few eclectic gags added that will suit for provincial theaters but not for a piece from Friedrich Schiller that was written under pressing and awful social circumstances and certainly wanted to move its audience - a goal which this ??? clearly misses. The production design is desperately trying to be historic and therefore made up of a few old streets, candles and rags. This is simply not enough today. Kubrick would rotate in his grave. The photography exhausts itself in blue-moon-nights and a greasy warm candle light. It has no character and does not make up any atmosphere. It looks like a wannabe film student short movie. The sound design seems to be unable to work with nuances and sounds like a fifties-musketeer-drama. You can feel the Foley artist standing next to your ear. Leander Hausmann's previous film NVA was foreshadowing this piece of lame, unprepared and loveless theater adaption. Unfortunately, Hausmann doesn't seem to find his ability again and SONNENALLEE will stay his best movie so far. Especially painful is the sung soundtrack of Kim Franck and Hans Wader. It's a deep dig into the grave of seventies German "Liedermacher" (song maker) tradition which has no link to the topic of KABALE UND LIEBE and doesn't support anything in this movie. Leander, thanks for wasting a lot money and having fun for a few weeks.
Review of Kabale und Liebe
