Antares

Austria seems to be emerging as a hotbed for movies dealing with multiple characters, all of whom are miserable (ie Dog Days and now Antares). The film follows three separate storylines, all of which continually intersect with each other. For a while, Antares is oddly compelling; as a glimpse into the lives of some seriously disturbed characters, the film undoubtedly succeeds. But at a running time of around two hours, the movie ultimately feels oppressive. It certainly doesn’t help that the last third of the movie is devoted to a character that simply isn’t as intriguing as the first two; by the time the film begins dealing with him, we’re ready to call it a night. Still, there’s no denying the fact that writer/director Gotz Spielmann has done an effective job of presenting us with characters that feel authentic – though the film never quite becomes as compelling as Spielmann clearly wants it to be.

** out of ****