Tuvalu (1999)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Veit Helmer

Writers:

Michaela Beck (screenplay)
Veit Helmer (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 June 2000 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Eine Reise in die Welt der Träume

Plot:

In a desolate and colorless landscape stands a dilapidated bathhouse run by a puffed-up blind man, his long-suffering wife...

Plot Keywords:

Bathhouse | Blind Man | Binoculars | Father Son Relationship | Treasure Map

Awards:

25 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Denis Lavant	...	Anton
Chulpan Khamatova	...	Eva (as Chulpan Hamatova)
Philippe Clay	...	Karl
Terrence Gillespie	...	Gregor
Catalina Murgea	...	Martha
E.J. Callahan	...	Inspector
Djoko Rosic	...	Gustav (as Djoko Rossich)
Zlatina Todeva	...	Old Woman
Todor Georgiev	...	Policeman
Georgi Kishkilov	...	Homeless
Petar Evangelatov	...	Homeless
Evgeni Jermanov	...	Homeless
Blajo Nikolic	...	Homeless
Krikor Hugasjan	...	Homeless (as Krikor Hugasian)
Alexander Dikov	...	Homeless

Runtime:

101 min | Argentina:107 min | Canada:100 min | Japan:92 min | Taiwan:107 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

None

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:o.Al. (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA

Filming Locations:

Sofia, Bulgaria

Company:

Borough Films

Movie Connections:

Featured in Lucy Tsak Tsak (2000)

Soundtrack:

Mocking Song

Brilliantly offbeat fairy tale around a swimming pool

I have never been particularly fond of movies with taglines like "a poetic adventure" or "a journey into the land of dreams" stamped on their front, as this kind of advertising is usually nothing more than a weak excuse for the absence of a coherent plot or some in-depth characterization, leaving you in the guess why the filmmakers didn't stick to the painting of aquarelles in the first place. My expectations sank even lower when I understood that there wasn't going to be any dialogue in "Tuvalu", at least not in the proper sense of the term. So this couldn't be more than a soothing eye candy at best; hopefully free from the embarrassing "isn't our imagination a wonderful thing"-moments or the "why can't we all be children forever"-messages that tend to haunt this specific genre.

After a few moments into the film, I was entirely cured from that kind of prejudice. "Tuvalu" surprisingly brings across the magic that is promised on the poster - and it works well for a variety of reasons. First of all, despite the movie's innocent fairy tale character, it isn't coy about adult themes at all (like all good fairy tales, for that matter). We actually even have scenes of violence and nudity, but both are introduced in a very playful and witty manner; in a style which I should consider perfectly suitable for children.

Secondly, "Tuvalu" is hilariously funny, and at times, the humour is pretty far from being tongue-in-cheek... There is a lot of crude slapstick going on, and sometimes the whole movie is close to the coarseness of a Punch and Judy show; but most of the time one just laughs at the sheer originality and inventiveness of the production. Furthermore, the sparse use of words proves to be a great means of comedy as well - the effect is somewhat comparable to the quasi-absence of comprehensible language in Jacques Tati's films, or, for those who have seen it, in "Themroc".

Thirdly, there is always joy in watching talented and charismatic actors under the direction of a talented director and screenwiter. You can tell that everyone involved in the making was perfectly devoted to the project; and this justified euphoria of the makers comes across in almost every scene. They probably knew that they were doing something special, and this is indeed what they have achieved. Additionally, Helmer's use of light and colour is always original, but never distracting; every scene of this movie is simply beautiful to look at. Yes, I should say, imagination is a wonderful thing and it is an utter shame that we can't be children forever.