Die obskuren Geschichten eines Zugreisenden

After watching Amor de madre (2022), I was disappointed by the lack of absurdity and weirdness in the plot of this movie, as well as the absence of the top-notch black humor I usually expect from Spanish comedies. Surprisingly, though, none of that seemed to matter this time around because the characters and their antics had me hooked from the start, making for a thoroughly enjoyable watch. I get that the story about the dog probably ruffled some feathers, potentially causing a stir among die-hard feminists or passionate animal rights advocates. Personally, I'm not a fan of fanatics of any kind, so I won't pretend to shed a tear for them. Lesson learned: It's probably best not to watch pornography for educational purposes. (31.05.2022)

This year's Spanish Renaissance continues and this is definitely the best work I've seen from them this year. The film is a proper disturbing extravaganza full of dark humour, unexpected twists and shocking revelations, just the way we like it from the Spaniards. Critics have compared the film to Wild Tales and I have even seen the phrase "Wes Anderson on LSD!" to describe it. The story focuses on a woman who meets a psychiatrist on a train who tells her a story about one of his patients, and from this the film mines multiple intertwined stories of strange people with shocking revelations. This time the Spaniards go off the rails and serve up scenes I wouldn't expect from them. The film includes Snuff with kids, a woman being raped by a dog, sex between two mentally challenged people and even one brutal scene with brains out (but nothing is gratuitous, though). We also learn some interesting things about garbage that will definitively change your view of the world. Shocking, twisted, excellently acted (give Luis Tosar an Oscar!!), disturbing, hypnotic and an excellent piece of filmmaking in all respects, Oscars will fly for all categories in Spain. It may be too bizarre for some, but I found it incredibly fitting. Story*****, Action>No, Humor***, Violence***, Entertainment*****, Music***, Visual****, Atmosphere*****, Suspense***. 8.5/10. (06.06.2020)