Magic Flute Diaries

While there is much lacking in this film--the script needed more work in order to make the plot more understandable (especially for people unfamiliar with The Magic Flute)--it still contains a number of really lovely elements. The scenery was beautiful and served the music well. The film/camera work was often daring, also well suited to the score. And some the performances were quite strong; of course Hauer had the impressive presence he usually has, but Kelly Campbell, I thought, did a great job of playing the girlfriend who has to deal with mixed messages from her rather distracted guy. Not only can she clearly sing beautifully well, but her performance was, perhaps, one of the most realistic in the film--totally believable (I certainly felt more sympathy for Sandra/Papagena than for other characters in the film.) This meant that the transitions between 'reality' and fantasy were, in her scenes, quite convincing (admittedly, with some of the other characters, the transitions came off a little... hoaky). Campbell was impressive in Papagena's more "theatrical" scenes as well as in the scenes that required more subtle characterization. I was impressed-- though more by the acting than the film itself. (I'm of the admire-the-good-parts school of film criticism, I guess, and can't bear to discredit performances just because the directing, writing, or editing is flawed.)