Pacifiction

With its original story and characters, Pacification is an alternative, interestingly atmospheric “quiet drama” in the attractive tropical setting of the rainy Tahitian islands. Only the filmmaker’s need to make political statements can come across as annoying. And the slow pace of the nearly three-hour plot with occasionally insipid dialogue can be yawn-inducing. This casualness, however, reflects the lifestyle of the characters and complements the film's unique island nature. The surprising scenes with mega-wave surfing and great sound are nicely refreshing. (09/06/2023)

Lost Highway/Only God Forgives/Inherent Vice/I Come With the Rain/La Gomera mashup with the awareness that three fifths of the mentioned films bothered me to a total extent, while two I exemplary love. Otherwise a first-class trololo on the viewer expecting anything that offers him any summary of the plot (for example, the distribution text here from Film Europe only proves that even they themselves do not watch the films they distribute). "Pacification" is a general reminder to me of why I had my elitist arthouse period at an early age. Because I arrogantly adored slow, incomprehensible films, which with their arrogance constantly give the impression that there is more to them than there actually is, but should I really expect any modesty from European auteurs? Oh, and one of the parameters of such films is that they often incidentally contain the visually most opulent scene of the year across genres and budgets, which is fulfilled here (when the ships sail into the waves). I don't give five stars just because someone might take it as if I understood what was happening there most of the time, which I wouldn't want. (06/07/2023)