"Der Architekt" is a German movie from 2008, so this one will have its 10th anniversary next year. It is the only full feature written and directed by prolific actress Ina Weisse and looking at what I saw in here I cannot really be too mad that the did not make more of these except the short films from early in her career. I do believe that she had a pretty solid cast in here that easily could have turned the film into something more memorable, but the script of this 90-minute movie just comes too short on many occasions. The film is mostly a drama, but there is a moment here and there when the film(maker) goes for subtle and sometimes relatively dark comedy, maybe to make it all a lighter watch. But these are the moments when the film is probably at its weakest as it really just feels for the sake of it. IOne example would be a scene about a character's leg that they made look like a sex scene for the laughs and giggles. And as for the drama, it is hardly any better. It feels pretty disappointing to see an actor like Bierbichler, who I think is quite talented, wasted in scenes like him standing naked in a snow landscape. The scenery and setting is still among the better aspects of the film here as it adds a decent atmosphere at times, but the cinematography is eventually also not good enough on its own to make up for all the other flaws here. Hüller I usually also like more than in this one and we saw in Toni Erdmann what she is capable of, a true powerhouse performance compared to this one. Schweighöfer is one of the most (if not the most) overrated German actors and even if it's nice for once to see him play an entirely different character than in all his stupid romantic comedy dramas, it also becomes painfully obvious how he is miscast for everything that requires dramatic depth and range and this includes this film here too. Nothing about Rois here is worthy of winning a German Film Award.This is a film about a father who needs to reflect on his life, profession and relationships, especially with his children. This is a subject that has been done many times and I dare say most times it was handled more interestingly and realistically than here. A missed opportunity really and if Weisse ever decides to make another film, then I hope she has considerably stepped up since a decade ago. Don't watch.
Review of The Architect
