Review by: Andrew Chan FCCA AACTA
Review Date: 30th October 2012
Reviewed as part of 香港歌德學院主辦’s KINO/12 德國電影節

Support the site by buying DVD or Blu-ray from our HK Neo Distribution Ebay Store

“Bliss” is undoubtedly unconventional and even shockingly surprising. In a film that starts off like an unlikely romance blossoming in the most heartwarming manner, “Bliss” suddenly shifts gear and turn into one of the most hilarious blood fest for quite a long time. This is a wonderfully crafted and gripping film that sticks the audience to their seat till the very end.

“Bliss” is not for the faint hearted or those after conventional romantic dramas, as the provocative opening war raping scene sets the tone. Almost instantly, the film is fast forwarded to Germany, where the wonderful Alba Robrwacher who plays the victim of its circumstances standing on the Berlin streets selling sex. What I bluntly enjoyed about this film is the sharp editing and non-stop pacing that gets the audience excited and hooked. The fact that the film allows the audience to invest into every tiny moments of the unlikely relationship between two often ignored members of our society – one a homeless nobody and the other a prostitute. It is this relationship and the process and everything in between that made the film believable, two troubled young souls somehow managed to build some sort of life together, despite the odds. In many ways, the film and the relationship of the two feels a lot like a triumph for society. The shocking turn of events is both comedic and gripping, as the brutality of the situation provides a sharp contrast to the other major portion of the film. For many, this kind of absurdity will make or break a film, but for “Bliss” it simply just worked out, much like the love or bliss between the two protagonists.

Alba Robrwacher carries the film like there is no tomorrow. It is almost safe to say that if there is so Robrwacher, “Bliss” simply cannot work. Her ability to underplay emotions and display it when required show how impressive as a character, actress within a highly difficult role as lover, carer, prostitute, rape victim and everything bad about life in general. Underneath this all, Robrwacher displayed a genuine aspect of a strong will to live on and her honest love with the homeless bard (played by Vinzenz Kiefer) is utmost central the film’s success. Her chemistry Kiefer is the kind that grows on the audience and there is almost a point in the film that you just know that they cannot live without each other. It is at that moment, where no matter how crazy their actions seem to be, it just did not matter at all. Kiefer on the other hand is subdued for most of the way, but shines through in the chopping, slashing and shocking finale.

Director Doris Dörrie is a prolific film critic and author turned director, what you can clearly see in “Bliss” is that she loves cinema. In creating “Bliss”, Dörrie is able to show the extreme sides of humanity and love. Although the film is an adaption of the Ferdinand von Schirach’s bestselling novel “Crime”, Dörrie does not shy away or prepare the audience for what is coming. Her light-hearted take during the brutal slashing of body parts is to be complimented, as it could easily make or break the film. As the audience have already accepted the love between the characters, Dörrie smartly shifts the tone to comedy and while it may derive and divide the audience, “Bliss” worked for me.

All in all, “Bliss” is an ambitious and brave kind of cinematic experience. The story of two troubled souls set a powerful premise and combining with the shocking yet surprising effective and comedic finale, it instantly made “Bliss” an interesting and a film that stands out of the pack. By being unconventional, Dörrie took an immense risk and in turn created a film where the audience can relate towards, feel for the characters, shock them to pieces and bringing us together in laughter. To call “Bliss” a success story will bring a divided audience, but for me, “Bliss” is not just a powerful film, one that is willing to break the rules of expectations and for that, I brutally enjoyed it. (Neo 2012)

I rated it 8.5/10