Customer Reviews

Tuvalu

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My husband and I rented Tuvalu last night. From the box, it appeared to have the same feel as City of Lost Children, Delicatessen, Amelie, etc, which we liked a lot. Not knowing that the movie had little to no dialogue, at the rental store, we tried to determine what language it was in, and if it was subtitled. The box does not list these things, however, someone at the rental store decided to mark "subtitled" on the DVD case (does anyone at these rental stores ever WATCH the movies before they put them on the shelves?)

After watching a few minutes and realizing that the entire movie would be pantomimed, we adjusted our expectations accordingly and enjoyed the movie. What few words are spoken are either obvious as to what they mean, someone's name, or in English.

The movie is a sweet story. The imagery is wonderful, and certain shots, such as that of Eva swimming with her goldfish, caught me as very beautiful. We also loved the tinting of the film - changing from black & white, to sepia, to blues, etc.

After the movie, we watched the special 6 minute short film "Surprise" also on the DVD. "Surprise" was hilarious and kept me giggling even after the short was over.

Since this was just a rental for us, and thus we don't own it, I'm definately adding it to my wish list.

I was very sceptical at first, after reading all the reviews and seeing the screenshots. But the movie exceeded all the expectations and revealed a new dimension in the world of cinema. It is not a cilent movie, but only a few words are spoken, however the director and the actors managed to kept me mesmerized and captivated from the beginning till the very end. I only wish this movie were twice, no three times longer, and after it finished I kept reliving the episodes and the atmosphere for many hours and days. Chulpan Khamatova is utterly fascinating and her character is not only unforgettable, but also very personalized and lively. I will watch this movie again many times.

I love films in which the director shows that he's a true auteur by creating a universe of his own, a universe that is neither past, present, nor future, a universe that can't be found on a map. And while Tuvalu is a real place and can be found on a map (the tiny nation has about 10 square miles of dry land and you might come across it somewhere between Fiji and the Marshall Islands if you're ever drifting across the Pacific Ocean on a raft), Veit Helmer's film by the same name doesn't take place there. Tuvalu was filmed in Bulgaria but the film is set in a stark dreamland during what seems to be either a mildly post-apocalyptic future, a somewhat stilted present, or maybe just another dimension altogether.
Tuvalu is a relatively simple love story, but unlike other love stories this one is draped in enough surreal eye candy to keep you interested even if the thin plot doesn't. The details are amazingly well thought out. The interior scenes are shot in sepiatone, the outdoor scenes in a stark blueish black and white. The locale is vaguely Eastern European with evidence of a local Slavo-Germanic language: one scene is shot inside the workshop of a "Mekanika", a building inspector waves a piece of paper labelled "Protokol" in another. The cracks in the walls, floors and ceilings of the bathhouse in which most of the action takes place are beautifully decadent. Every light fixture and doorframe seems chosen for atmosphere. The fact that this is effectively a silent film adds to the dreamlike feeling. There are snippets of speech, and sound is heard, footsteps, crashes, the roar of steam engines, and water dripping, lots of water dripping, but the film could be viewed with the sound turned off without any loss of understanding: a filmic Esperanto, film as international language. This universalism was intentional according to Helmer, although he did state in a recent interview, "My sound editor would like to kill everyone who calls it a silent film, because he worked for six months creating the sound design."
French "Next Wave" actor Denis Lavant's portrayal of Anton, the bathhouse attendant, is very believable and at times he seems to channel Buster Keaton, performing physical comedy without seeming to be aware of it. His harmless yet weathered face is also perfect for the role of innocent in a netherworld.
Russian actress Chulpan Khamatova was also a good choice for Eva, Anton's love interest. She looks like a teenaged schoolgirl (she was in her mid-20s at the time of filming) but when she first catches Anton spying on her while undressing her laugh betrays anything but innocence. Clothed or not, Khamatova also has a bearing, an offbeat beauty, that is completely in sync with the world in which the film takes place. She seems to belong to this time and place as much as the grotesques that populate much of the rest of the film. Helmer has mentioned in interviews that he auditioned over a thousand actors for this film and it shows. French veteran actor Phillipe Clay plays the blind bathhouse owner with understated grace. Terrence Gillespie as Anton's rival comes off like a slimy Eastern European Lyle Lovett. Even down to the extras, Helmer has cast this film with the same eye for detail that went into its design.
A blurb on the box for the DVD version of this film says that Tuvalu feels like Fritz Lang directing Delicatessen. I think the Fritz Lang comparison is valid, and would be surprised if Helmer didn't cite him as a major influence but, except for the surreal elements and the alternate universe both films portray, the comparison to Delicatessen is a bit of a stretch. Tuvalu is a much kinder, gentler film, and while its world is not without its dangers, and indeed even death and night and blood, its spirit draws more from classic European cinema of the 30s and 40s than from the post-punk Gilliamesque humor of Caro and Jeunet. Tuvalu to me feels more like Fritz Lang teaming up with Guy Maddin to make a classic love story.

Equal parts Guy Maddin (Tales from the Gimli Hospital, Careful), Lars von Trier (Element of Crime) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, City of Lost Children), this unique almost-silent film uses monochromatic tinting to convey an otherworldly feel in its story of characters whose life is primarily confined to an ancient bath-house located in the middle of nowhere. The single color permeating the screen varies--from sepia to blue to black-and-white to green, and back again--giving the work a fantastical aura that works quite well.

The characters act out the story with spoken language confined only to their names, an occasional "OK" and the phrase "technology system profits". Only once I caught some French, but that disappeared as suddenly as it was heard. The written words that are displayed seem to give the feeling of an eastern European setting, but the viewer is never sure where he is. This is accentuated by the isolation of the castle-like bath-house and the costumes which could be worn by denizens of a dozen different places, at least.

Though the director is German, it was shot in Bulgaria and features Bulgarian women singers and a cast of actors from various countries throughout both Eastern and Western Europe. The story is of a young man, Anton, who, with his blind elderly father and a middle-aged woman, runs the bath-house for those who need aquatic soothing. An ancient machine in the basement keeps everything going, supplying steam power to run whatever must be run. When a pretty young woman and her father visit for a swim, Anton's world is shaken; this is the first time in his life he's smitten and this, of course, sets the real story in motion.

Anton's brother Gregor is the bad guy; not only does he have an evil laugh, but his Eraserhead hair is a dead giveaway. Gregor's idea is to do away with the bath-house and make money by converting what's old into what is "modern" (another word that pops up a few times, with the accent on the second syllable). Also involved are a friendly policeman, a safety inspector, and a group of helpful villagers.

The suspension of time and place is critical in appreciating this piece, whose title refers to a mysterious place that...well, better if you watch the film.

Definitely recommended.

Considering how much praise the film DELICATESSEN has received over the years, it is surprising TUVALU hasn't found more recognition. While DELICATESSEN is visually clever, using minimal dialogue to tell its story, TUVALU takes those qualities further, though perhaps with a few less side stories. Nevertheless, fans of one should enjoy the other.

The Tuvalu of the film's title is a faraway paradise isle. It is precisely the sort of place Anton (Denis Lavant) would rather be than working in his parent's dilapidated bathhouse, the last building standing in a barren landscape devoid of color and a thorn in the side of evil developer Gregor (Terrence Gillespie). Getting to Tuvalu is a dream Anton has all but given up on, considering he is afraid to set foot outside of the bathhouse. Anton's mother has kept a long-running charade going to keep his blind father from knowing the family business is failing. Between the few remaining customers paying with worthless buttons, and an upcoming safety inspection, the bathhouse looks certain for demolition. A change of pace occurs when Eva (Chulpan Khamatova), the object of Anton's desires, moves into the bathhouse with her father after losing their home. But then matters are made worse when Eva's father is killed in the pool by falling plaster. She blames Anton and runs to the arms of Gregor. From there it's a race against time to fix up the building, rescue a key piece of machinery that keeps the building's boiler running smoothly, prove Eva's father's death was no accident, and win her back from Gregor.

The film is brilliantly inventive, like one giant Rube Goldberg device. While most of the film was shot in black & white, much of it is color-tinted, adding to the already stunning camerawork, lighting, and art direction. Much of the comedy is physical and absurd, like an old silent movie, but the film has more than it's fare share of clever sight gags and situations to make it stand out.

A simple love story between 2 human beings in a material world, that's what it's all about.
If you liked the monochromy of Delicatessen, the characters of The city of the lost children, you'll love this film.
Anyway, it's not an ersatz of Jeunet : the story is simple, there's no real dialog.
See this one. It's what should be a film : original

This is my favorite movie and has been ever since I saw it several years ago. I love surreal films with their own sense of logic, as if they are taking place in a parallel universe somewhere. Fellini, Tarkovsky, etc. And this is about as good as it gets in that regard. Quirky characters, sort of like a David Lynch without the chronic depression.

I've also now seen Helmer's Absurdistan, which is also good, but not quite as good as this-- both are sort of smart and sweet fairy tales, if you like Tuvalu there's a good chance you'll like Absurdistan as well, though it's not quite as bizarre and atmospheric.

Regarding the quality of the print, I have both the First Run Features release and the Indican DVD-R, and the FRF I think is a slightly better print and comes with extras. I had purchased the Indican after reading a complaint here about the widescreen not being anamorphic thinking I might get something different, but the Indican DVD-R is exactly the same in that regard. And the running time of the two versions is EXACTLY the same, at 87:30, even though the Indican says 101 on the package and 92 in the Amazon listing. I bought both new in the original wrap.

Here's an engaging tale that's all the more entertaining for its simplicity. Essentially a silent film, save for a few easily understandable words of dialogue in several languages, it takes us into a vaguely Eastern European setting, one that's crumbling & almost post-apocalyptic ... although the apocalypse seems to have been one of quiet neglect & decay, rather than titanic destruction.

Anton runs the genteel remains of a once-elegant bathhouse, and his evil brother Gregor wishes to destroy it for development. Eva, a charming & offbeat beauty, is caught between the two brothers, fooled by Gregor's machinations -- whom will she choose? Which brother's worldview will prevail? And there's really very little more to it than that, in terms of plot.

But the look & the atmosphere ... ah, there's where the surreal magic lies! Shot in black & white, then hand-tinted with stunning monochromatic colors, the film plays like a dream unfolding before our eyes. The almost cartoon-like leads become more convincing than subtle, three-dimensional characters in such a landscape; and the exaggerated acting style feels just right.

There are several individual scenes which convey an innocent, whimsical beauty, such as Eva's nude swim in the bathhouse pool, complete with a goldfish bowl & a goldfish that keeps swimming in & out of the bowl. The nudity is both sexually alluring & cheekily tender, with Eva more of a water sprite than a young woman. And who is free, and who is caught in the illusion of being free?

As the film progresses, it reveals unsuspected depths. If the message about choosing between beauty & the utilitarian is familiar, it's repeated to good & necessary effect. And the final admonition to pursue a whole & meaningful life before it's too late is always appropriate, especially in a contemporary world devoted to endless consumption, status & power. Most highly recommended!

The director of this film intended it to be understood by everyone -- hence there is very little dialogue. It is a haunting and surreal setting (shot on location in eastern Europe). Moreover, it has one of my all-time favorite actors: E.J. Callahan

Esta es tal vez una de las mejores peliculas de los ultimos años, con la gran fortaleza de ser contada en una narrativa clara y nostalgica, con cambios en los colores de fonde y dandole la mayor iportancia a la historia y no a los efectos especiales. Indispensable