Hotel Lux

Alexander Senderovich and Michael Bully Herbig in "Hotel Lux" A Constantin Film Verleih discharge of a Bavaria Film Intl. presentation of the Bavaria Pictures, Beeplex Film Prods., BSI Intl. Invest, Colonia Media Filmproduktion, HerbX Film, Li Produktion, Little Shark Entertainment, Pirol Film Push., Rainer Windhager Film Push., WDR, BR, ARD Degeto, Arte production, together with Bavaria Film, Bavaria Fernsehproduktion. (Worldwide sales: Bavaria Film Intl., Geiselgasteig, Germany.) Created by Guenter Rohrbach, Corinna Eich. Executive producers, Matthias Esche, Jan S. Kaiser. Co-producer, Michael Bully Herbig. Directed, compiled by Leander Haussmann, according to motifs by Uwe Timm, Volker Einrauch.With: Michael Bully Herbig, Juergen Vogel, Thekla Reuten, Alexander Senderovich, Valery Grishko, Juraj Kukura, Sebastian Blomberg, Axel Wandtke, Steffi Kuehnert, Matthias Brenner, Robert Doelle, Josef Ostendorf, Thomas Thieme, Gennadi Vengerov, Johann Adam Oest, Daniel Wiemer, Uwe-Dag Berlin, Friedrich Karl Praetorius. (German, Russian, British dialogue)"Hotel Lux" really wants to be several things: a side-splitting comedy about Stalin (with Hitler quietly), a grandiose Hollywood-style production in the large studio era, an Indiana Johnson-like romp through history. After making his title with genial comedies occur East Germany, Leander Haussmann ("Sun Alley") winds the time back further, even though "Hotel Lux" is not a train wreck on the amount of Oskar Roehler's "Jew Suss," neither could it be original or especially inspired. Extravagant as well as in dubious taste, the pic does decent biz in your own home, but many worldwide marketplaces is going to be cautious about a Nazi laffer. Berlin, 1933: Apolitical ladies' guy Hendes Zeisig (Michael Bully Herbig) and Jewish commie Siggi Meyer (Juergen Vogel) possess a Stalin-Hitler act that slays Them within the lanes. 3 years later, Meyer's gone into hiding and Zeisig is not getting enjoyable together with his Stalin number, particularly with Nazi Kessel (Uwe-Dag Berlin) now responsible for the theater and pushing him to complete an anti-Semitic parody. Rather, Zeisig dons Meyer's Hitler outfit and works a skit they know is going to be his last. Neither the very first Stalin-Hitler act (very Mel Brooks, with no brilliant comic shock) nor Zeisig's solo Hitler number (with debt obviously to "The Truly Amazing Dictator") is particularly funny, notwithstanding an audience's legitimate need to from time to time laugh at these figures. The issue is based on the way the comedy is created: With Chaplin, there's terror underneath every elegant comic movement, whereas Haussmann is not behind the buffoonery. Nazis chasing after Zeisig lower the road, shot like quiet slapstick, is particularly ill created. Zeisig tries to obtain a visa towards the U.S., convinced he'll be considered a star in Hollywood, but wrangles merely a fake Soviet passport. He comes to Moscow in the Hotel Lux, where Comintern people are lodged within an atmosphere of mistrust. There, he meets Nikolai Yezhov (Alexander Senderovich), the violent, diminutive chief from the secret police, who's convinced the actor is Hitler's personal astrologer, whom Stalin is expecting. Zeisig is designated a translator, Clara (Thekla Reuten), real title Frida, a Meyer partisan whom Zeisig met in '33, and who attempts to save him from an progressively sticky situation. Then Stalin (Valery Grishko) arrives. Unlike Dani Levy's not successful farce-drama hybrid "Mein Fuhrer," "Hotel Lux" does not play the role of anything apart from a comic book caper. Yet with no underlying deadly importance so essential to making the laughs cathartic, Haussmann's Uncle Joe is basically a paranoid and superstitious fool, by having an focus on the second trait. A smart cackle at Stalin (or Hitler) will be a relief, although not if this sweeps away the monster within. Further (minor) laughs are produced by labels determining hotel visitors who'll later go onto become major figures in East Germany along with other Soviet-bloc nations. When the history were completely make believe (just like a "Stargate" episode), the pic will make a directing adventure-comedy romp, but Haussmann's wish to have everything outings him up. Fortunately, Herbig has personality having a capital "P," and also the popular spoofer has very exciting directing the aura of stars from cinema's past. Exactly the same could be stated of Haussmann's entire concept, utilizing products from another era including elaborate studio sets, matte works of art, dolly shots and so on. It's playfully old-fashioned and aesthetically pleasing, with kudos visiting the stylish, self-purposely grandiose lensing by d.p. Hagen Bogdanski ("The Youthful Victoria") and Uli Hanisch's elaborate sets. Ralf Wengenmayr's music tries way too hard having a type of symphonic accompaniment connected with photos in the nineteen forties, and the over ripe arrangements, just like a mix between Max Steiner and John Williams, are excessive.Camera (color/B&W, widescreen), Hagen Bogdanski editor, Hansjoerg Weissbrich music, Ralf Wengenmayr production designer, Uli Hanisch art director, Daniel Chour costume designer, Ute Paffendorf seem (Dolby), Frank Kruse, Ben Rosenkind seem designer, Heiko Mueller, Mario Hubert effects supervisor, Adolf Wojtinek line producers, Anne Leppin, Gilbert Moehler connect producer, Matthias Batthyany casting, Simone Baer. Examined at Rome Film Festival (competing), March. 31, 2011. Running time: 106 MIN. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com