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5.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Der Firmling remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a weird sense of humor and enjoy watching people fail to communicate for fifteen minutes straight, you’ll love it. If you need a movie where things actually happen, skip it. You will likely hate this if you get frustrated by characters who just won't listen to each other.
Der Firmling is basically just a fever dream of a lunch date. Karl Valentin is there, looking like he’s trying to solve a complex math equation just by sitting in a chair. Liesl Karlstadt is trying to keep the wheels on the bus, but the bus is already upside down in a ditch.
There isn't much to say about the plot because, well, there barely is one. It’s a confirmation day lunch that goes completely off the rails. You can see the exact moment the waiter stops caring about his job. It’s beautiful, really. ☕
Valentin has this way of holding a menu that feels like he’s holding a bomb. The way he struggles with the simplest sentences makes you want to reach through the screen and help him. But you can't. That’s the point, I guess.
It reminds me a bit of the suffocating, grounded misery you find in Poil de carotte, but with more shouting about food. It’s not as polished as a modern comedy, and thank god for that.
The pacing is all over the place, and honestly, the movie feels like it’s running out of breath by the end. It doesn't try to be anything other than a very specific, very annoying afternoon. It’s messy. It’s petty. It’s perfect for a rainy Sunday when you want to feel better about your own family dinners.
Don't look for deep meaning here. Just watch Valentin try to process a bill. It’s more honest than anything else I’ve seen this month. 🙄