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Tuesday, 15 August 2006 01:12 |
The titular character, played by Martin Weiss, is a lonely transsexual nightclub performer looking for love in all the wrong places. His brothers aren't faring much better: Hans-Jorg (Moritz Bleibtreu) is a lonely, sex-addicted librarian with a penchant for gratifying himself while spying on beautiful women in a public bathroom, while Werner (Herbert Knaup) is a rising politician whose beautiful wife seems more interested in their teenage son (Tom Schilling) than in fulfilling her marriage vows. Clearly, all three siblings have been emotionally damaged by childhood scars inflicted by their eccentric father (Vadim Glowna).
The episodic story line details the numerous transgressions of the various characters, including the teenager's penchant for video spying on his father, who at one point is seen using his office floor as a toilet.
The film's outrageousness would be more palatable if leavened with more wit, or if the characterizations possessed more nuances. But despite the strong efforts of a cast that includes several of Germany's more prominent performers, "Agnes" is less successful as a satire of family dysfunction than as yet another illustration that, in the wrong hands, shock value can be more tedious than bracing.
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