neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Max
	Menno Meyjes John Cusack, Noah Taylor, Leelee Sobieski, Molly Parker, Ulrich 2002		Although it derives its title from the name of a one-armed Jewish-German art dealer, "Max," a pensive drama with historical roots, gets its juice from the relationship between the titular character and his would-be client, a youthful Adolf Hitler. The setting is Munich, 1918. Writer/director Menno Meyjes doesn't make much of an attempt to depict Hitler as a misunderstood figure. Rather, the future Führer reads as a damaged little man looking for scapegoats to blame for his misfortune. The casting stacks the deck, but the actors rise above the obvious. A congenial, sympathetic John Cusack plays Max with attention to the man's self-absorption. A craven, pathetic Noah Taylor plays Hitler with a hint of tragedy. Because Hitler's fate is a matter of record, we know Max's attempts at kindness toward Adolf, a fellow World War I veteran and a pedestrian painter, won't prevent the eventual leader of Nazi Germany from descending into hatred and vilification. It's "Portrait of the Fascist as a Young Artist," and watching it with hindsight is titillating. Co-starring Leelee Sobieski as Max's mistress and Molly Parker as his wife.