"Mahler" shows the surrealist brilliance of Russell, proving he can make a "normal" movie & an insane one simultaneously. More akin to an actual biopic than other Russell composer bios, we see how Mahler's obsessions affected his work & his marriage; Alma's arc is devastating. Still, the fever-dream absurdity is prevalent; in this film especially, he leans into the Lebowski-esque humor in these segments, which while emotionally confusing at times, it's also wonderfully entertaining & undeniably intentional.
Review of Mahler
