The Universal Theory

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.

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.

The Universal Theory is a brooding and cerebral tale, blending mystery, science fiction, noir, and mad love. While it may disappoint genre fans seeking a pure science fiction experience, it excels as a haunting meditation on identity and desire. Rather than exploring scientific concepts in depth, it uses the aesthetic of science fiction to evoke pensive moods and profound existential questions. Though one of many recent multiverse movies, The Universal Theory stands apart, offering a unique and deeply emotional take on the concept.

Cultural touchpoints abound in reviews of the film, and rightfully so. Hitchcock, Truffaut, Lynch, Carol Reed, Dürrenmatt, and Maya Deren have all been referenced, and these comparisons feel apt. More surgically, I'd add Dead Mountaineer's Hotel (Grigori Kromanov's 1979 film and the 1970 novel by the Strugatsky Brothers) and Julien Duvivier's L'affaire Maurizius (1954). Dead Mountaineer's Hotel, another alpine-set sci-fi noir, seems like the film's clearest ancestor, while the paranoia, investigation, and shadows of Swiss-set L'affaire Maurizius resonate here too. And yet, for all its influences, The Universal Theory feels startlingly original, much like Alien-a film that, despite being a swag bag of looted stories and motifs, became its own iconic entity.

The story takes place in the 1950s, when a mysterious physics conference is arranged at a remote, snow-set Swiss hotel. Physics Professor Dr. Stratten and his doctoral student Johannes Leinert travel there, to find out more about the conference. However, the scientific gathering quickly fades into the background as strange occurrences and the enigmatic Karin capture Johannes' attention. Karin, with her jazz-inflected rendition of Couperin's Les Barricades Mystérieuses, embodies the film's central mystery: beautiful and endlessly elusive.

The Universal Theory uses its science fiction framework not for scientific exploration but to probe the fragility of human existence. There is a pervasive sense that something is slightly "off" about reality. A brilliant career reduced to mediocrity by an inexplicable obstacle. Profound declarations of love rebuffed by those we believed were our soulmates. Sliding-doors moments subtly alter the trajectories of lives: in one reality, a professor has ties to the Soviets; in another, he leans west. These questions linger: Could we be anyone? Are our identities largely circumstantial?

This is not a film for those who need clear answers or a neatly tied narrative. Like Couperin's piece, The Universal Theory is intricate and ambiguous, inviting viewers to reflect rather than resolve. Its particular cocktail of genres is niche, and its appeal may not be universal-as evidenced by the bemused silence of my fellow audience members as the credits rolled. Yet, I found myself deeply moved, clapping alone, the film's strange, shadowed beauty resonating long after the lights came back on.

The Universal Theory is a niche masterpiece of strangeness, shadows, and love-sickness. For those willing to embrace its haunting mystery, it offers an unforgettable cinematic experience.

No pun intended - also not even close to the movie that swept many peoples minds and lives last year (or was it the year before? Time is a weird construct) ... also the movie is not connected with another movie that had a similar title and was about a genius mind ... some might argue that is also a bit the case here ... but that would be a stretch in my book,

So while the main character is quite the great mind (in many different things), the movie might not be able to do the same ... not saying this is a bad movie ... quite the opposite. Also the "black and white" flair - the movie has quality, though I am not sure how many will be swayed ... or are ok with the slow pace of the movie. Keep that in mind, try it out ... don't be too disappointed if this is not your cup of tea ... or Pi (kidding of course)

It's not that often that a German-language film makes it into competition at the Venice Film Festival. The German director Timm KRÖGER, who was born in Itzehoe in 1985, succeeded in this this year. His film THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING is a shocker, illustrated in black and white cinemascope, that is extremely unusual and has a long-lasting impact in its intensity.

In a framework we see a seemingly typical talk show appearance from 1974: The author Johannes Leinert (Jan BÜLOW) presents his debut novel THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING. Apparently this is his own story, which is said to have happened twelve years earlier. Johannes of the year 1962 is on the way to a physics conference in the Swiss Alps with his doctoral supervisor (Hanns ZISCHLER). Once there, everything was delayed because the well-known physicist from Tehran was not yet allowed to leave. The scientists spend their time in the snow more often than not. Johannes meets a mysterious pianist (Olivia ROSS) who knows a surprising amount about him and his youth. When one of the professors (Gottfried BREITFUSS) is found dead and horribly mutilated, events take on increasingly mysterious features...

In beautiful images, Timm KRÖGER unfolds a stylish homage to film history and at the same time delivers an impressive puzzle with the passage of time in the 20th century. How all of this is connected is left to the interpretation of the individual viewer. The form and image design are based on German-language film history at the beginning of the 1960s, without neglecting international influences. In addition to cinematic role models such as HITCHCOCK and RESNAIS, one should also think of literary role models from KAFKA to Thomas MANN (DER ZAUBERBERG / THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN) to Friedrich DÜRRENMATT (DIE PHYSIKER / THE PHYSICS). But genre film influences from the Edgar Wallace films that were so popular at the time can also be seen. How well director KRÖGER knows film history is also shown in the treat that Johannes' novel is being filmed under the title LA TEORIA DEL TUTTO by the Roman Cinecitta, which was Hollywood's biggest challenger in those days. It is also wonderful that the exceptional German director Dominik GRAF (DIE KATZE / DIE SIEGER / FABIAN: GOING TO THE DOGS) was able to be won over as the narrator.

This film is extremely enjoyable, but may be too scattered and aimless for some moviegoers. But Timm KRÖGER has definitely achieved a great success, which once again shows us today's filmgoers the almost inexplicable fragmentation of world events in the 20th century. A film like this really comes at the right time!