Die Theorie von Allem

The Universal Theory: Quantum Mechanics, The Many Worlds theory; Travelers from Parallel Earths, a convention in the Swiss Alps in 1962, all combine to create a fascinating Science Fiction Mystery Thriller. Some have complained that the plot is impenetrable and doesn't entirely hold together but I reckon if they pay closer attention they will realise that some apparent inconsistencies are due to characters flitting between different universes. Some changes are small, in others deaths are reversed. The presence of doppelgangers is important to the unfolding of the narrative as is a love story which transcends parallel universes. Filmed in sparkling monochrome this film could be a homage to many thrillers of the '50s and 60s with scenes lovingly lifted from them. Hitchcock meets Welles with a soupcon of Lynch and a dash of Kubrick. The mountain scenery and snow adds to the film's allure. Directed by Timm Kröger,from a screenplay by Kröger & Roderick Warich. 8/10.

It's actually a pity, the initial idea is quite appealing and the title and the advertising strategy have aroused great expectations. However, the film gets lost in a long series of quotes, stylistic devices and plot patterns, which were borrowed or copied from the works of famous directors. Thus, despite many mysteries and twists, the story becomes more and more predictable, and thus more disappointing. Unfortunately, the film completely lacks its own cinematic language, which would be necessary to remember the film as an independent work. As it is, however, it remains only as a thoroughly successful homage to Aldrich, Polanski, Lynch, Hitchcock, Truffaut, and, and, ... in memory.

The film is most convincing in its image composition, the black and white photography is beautiful, followed by the excellent actors. What the film would certainly have scored with is almost not used at all: quantum mechanics is only briefly mentioned, and the main character's groundbreaking theory is never explained, although it seems to be the key to the story. Instead, the emphasis is entirely on confusing the emotions, leaving many interesting possibilities for interpretation. The story never builds up to the great mystery that the title implies and becomes more and more annoying and shallow towards the end. What remains is a visually splendidly made film that is strangely conservative in the end.

I loved this film. Beautifully shot in the Austrian Alps, with an ingenious script, excellent cast and absolutely superb score, the plot (taking place during a physicists' conference in Switzerland in 1962) plays with ideas about metaverses or alternative realities. The dominant, expressionist score (occasionally quoting Bernard Hermann's from Vertigo) reminds us that we are in a world of film, not reality. On the other hand, the opening scene tells us that the narrative is of real and not fictional events. This play on realities becomes overt towards the end, when we witness a 'film within a film'. A film has been made of the book on which our film is based - and it has changed key events in the story! This is a multi-layered film that intrigues without being confusing, delights and entertains while presenting profound ideas, and will live with you long after the closing credits have ended.

Aspiring physicist "Johannes" (Jan Bülow) is traveling with his tutor "Strathen" (Hanns Zischler) to a conference in Switzerland, aware that his rather radical thinking has narked his professor who wishes him to conform to more established theories. Indeed things are distinctly tense between them when they encounter "Blumberg" (Gottfried Breitfuss) on their train. He has some past with "Strathen" which isn't exactly friendly, but they continue their journey together with the young man promised any help he needs to get his dissertation over the line. Once they arrive, "Johannes" gets caught up in one of the many storms that frequent their mountainside hotel and seeks refuge in a church. Likewise, a few moments later, does "Karin" (Olivia Ross). He's immediately smitten but she doesn't hang around for long enough to even exchange names. Luckily for him, she happens to play the piano in the hotel's jazz bar and so maybe a meeting can happen after all? It's almost simultaneous with their arrival that he starts to feel distinctively out-of-sorts. A sense of déjà-vu often seems to follow him as he feels he has met her before somewhere. Her bauhaus vacillates between the distant and (very) friendly, which he doesn't really comprehend either. Also, his timelines seem to be jumping about and when the avuncular "Blumberg" falls foul of a tragedy his befuddlement takes on an whole new life of it's own? What is going on here? It's as if the mountain has it's own secrets to keep? Is it all just too much wine? Or is there something more sinister going on? His is a mind of the rational and the scientific - ill equipped for matters ethereal or superstitious, so when the police come calling asking questions about the enigmatic "Karin", what can he make of it all? There are some quite intriguing threads to the story, here, as it tries to intertwine the factual with the less easily explicable and the snowscapes, frosty characterisation of "Strathen" and monochrome presentation add effectively chilling elements as the plot reveals a sense of the we know that we are missing something, but we don't know what it is, and we might never know. Unfortunately, Bülow is a bit weak to carry this off, and the annoyingly fragmented story flits about too much to give us chance to really get our teeth into it. Sure, it's quirky, unpredictable and requires us to think on more than one plain at a time, but I found it just didn't give me enough pitons to climb the mountain without sliding down far too often to square one. It does look good and does remind us that perhaps science hasn't all the answers, but I left feeling a little like "Johannes". Bemused.

Positive: Beautiful black and withe cinematography, mixing 50's -60's edition. Comparable to some Hollywood classics. The music also feeds the atmosphere with this noirish style.

Negative: The storytelling. From the first scene, the director gives away the ending. The viewer knows the conclusion, and not only because it's a well explored subject in recent times, but because the main character say it. There are also characters that are totally irrelevant to the story. The director decides to smash the relationship between the 2 "main characters", to then explore the final days of the protagonist, which is also irrelevant, because we know it from the beginning.

A good idea, poorly written/directed.