Raoul Ruiz's biopic of Gustav Klimt opened in America today, with John Malkovich stepping into the role of troubled artist. However, intriguing as the mix might sound, word is that fans shouldn't hold their breath for a masterpiece.
Mr Ruiz has chopped his original 130 minute cut down to a tight 97, but critics maintain that this has done little to dispel the film's arcane character. Stephen Holden in The New York Times described Klimt as 'a blur of a movie', noting that 'the stilted dialogue and crude overdubbing in scenes where English is not spoken often make it an impenetrable hodgepodge'.
However, the Times critic also noted that the film is 'lovely to look at', adding that it 'can be appreciated as a voluptuous wallow in high-style fin-de-siecle decadence.' The liberal doses of eroticism are likely to ensure that the film has a DVD afterlife.
Vienna Life hasn't caught the movie yet, but a full review will appear when (if?) the film is granted a general release.
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