Some of the stuff great cinema is made of

Rating: 9/10 (10 September 2008)

Schubert's "Der Leiermann" is the story of a man who lost everything he cared for, and which wanders to the cemetery on a cold winter day, laying down cold and giving in to depression, only to hear Death creeping up on him, playing it's obsessive song, and asks it to let him go with it.
McDonogh's first full feature film, and only second directing effort creeps up on you, like a cold winter breeze. The narrative follows Schubert's song, and unfolds in a bitter comic undertone, as religious references to soul redemption unfold in the background intertwined with local cultural art exhibits.
The characters develop individually within a confined time frame to eventually become an intricate part of the bigger picture, as for the acting Farell and Fiennes truly stand out. As for political correctness, well, let's just say it gets a well deserved kick in the a**. Yeah, they ARE filming midgets...in this one, at least.
Loved it.