Nobadi (Karl Markovics, 2019): Austria

Reviewed by Jacob Baldwin. Viewed at AFI festival 2019.

Nobadi PosterTo call a film dark is a blanket statement, which I try to avoid. However, if I was to describe this movie in one word, I would have to say it is dark. It is a dark in a funny, sad, thrilling sort of way.
The film focuses on an old retired man in Vienna, Austria named Robert. When his dog dies, Robert decides to bury it himself, but because he is so old, he has to employ the help of a young immigrant worker named Nobadi.
The first half of the film centers on the funny interactions between the elder Robert and the younger Nobadi. Themes of racism, war, youth, old age, and class are explored during the beginning of the film. The director presents an absurdist, comedic view of Robert’s life.
I won’t spoil the second half of the film, but I will say that the trajectory of the film goes somewhere completely other than what is expected. The movie shifts from an absurdist, comedic place to a dark and scary absurdist, comedic place. There are shocking surprises and thrilling, brutally upsetting scenes.
The screenwriting in the film is clever, touching on many modern issues with wit. There are several thrilling scenes, as well as lots of subtle/dark humor. There are sad and offensive scenes as well. I was particularly impressed with a speech Robert gives to Nobadi towards the end of the film.
The speech is meaningless, yet I was entertained by the creativity and wit of the writers. Nobadi is a good movie as a whole, because I was engaged and invested in the characters by the end of the movie. I will add, however, that the movie will upset you, and I think that is part of what makes it good.


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