Never Look Away

Name: Never Look Away
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller, Romance
Released: January 25, 2019
Duration: 189 min
Rating: 68
Cast: Cai Cohrs, Ina Weisse, Mark Zak, Oliver Masucci, Paula Beer

2019

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 44 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 44 Ratings

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Never Look Away

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Movie Details & Credits

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: January 25, 2019 | R

Starring: Cai Cohrs, Ina Weisse, Mark Zak, Oliver Masucci, Paula Beer, Saskia Rosendahl, Sebastian Koch, Tom Schilling, Ulrike C. Tscharre, Yevgeni Sidikhin

Summary: Young artist Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling) has fled to West-Germany, but he continues to be tormented by the experiences he made in his childhood and youth in the Nazi years and during the GDR-regime. When he meets the student Ellie (Paula Beer), he is convinced that he has met the love of his life and begins to create paintings that mirrorYoung artist Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling) has fled to West-Germany, but he continues to be tormented by the experiences he made in his childhood and youth in the Nazi years and during the GDR-regime. When he meets the student Ellie (Paula Beer), he is convinced that he has met the love of his life and begins to create paintings that mirror not only his own fate, but also the traumas of an entire generation.… Expand

Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Genre(s): Drama, History, Thriller, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 189 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Ann Hornaday

Feb 16, 2019

The title of Never Look Away is deliciously ironic: This is one of the most mesmerizing, compulsively watchable films in theaters right now. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Sheila O'Malley

Nov 30, 2018

At a daunting 188 minutes long, Never Look Away takes its time, doesn't force its themes. Like one of those novels that follows a family through multiple generations, Never Look Away follows Kurt from Dresden, to Düsseldorf, to Berlin. Read full review

Peter Travers

Jan 24, 2019

Lit with a poet’s eye by Deschanel and given dramatic heft by von Donnersmarck, Never Look Away lunges at the primitive forces that define our lives. Even when it trips up, it’s never less than exhilarating. Read full review

Anthony Lane

Feb 4, 2019

Stately rather than stealthy, is no match for it, but you are borne along, nonetheless, by the clash of characters, and by the ironies of historical momentum. Read full review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Feb 20, 2019

Never Look Away seems as self-satisfied with itself as its fictional artists are with the works they produce. Pardon my disgruntlement, but after three hours, my tendency is to desire a more resounding ending and something less solipsistic. Read full review

Boyd van Hoeij

Nov 29, 2018

The work’s considerations of the intimate connection among being, art and life finally feel quite superficial. Read full review

Pat Brown

Jan 24, 2019

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s film prioritizes the sentimental over the true, the tidy moral over the messy reality. Read full review

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User Reviews

Mstskn

Jul 23, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Incredibly beautiful. Many topics have been explained effectively. For a moment I was seriously touched and deep in thought. The murder of the private and the different, the unwanted life, the cruel war and trauma, the line between cruelty and humanity, self-discovery, new beginning, artistic creativity,etc .. many issues. If it had continued for another three hours, I would have watched.… Expand

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BHBarry

Feb 21, 2019

"Never Look Away" is a film written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. He also directed two previous and notable German films, one entitled "Black Book" and the second "The Lives of Others". The latter film won an Academy Award as the Best Foreign Language film in 2006 and"Never Look Away" is a film written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. He also directed two previous and notable German films, one entitled "Black Book" and the second "The Lives of Others". The latter film won an Academy Award as the Best Foreign Language film in 2006 and both films received 4 stars from this reviewer because of their clarity. power and the wonderful theatrical experiences they created. One of the common threads in each of the two prior films and in this one as well is the presence of Sebastian Koch, a dominating figure on the screen. Here Mr. Koch co-stars with Tom Schilling and Paula Beer in this saga that begins in1940 under the reign of Adolph Hitler, moves forward through the era of the German Democratic Republic in the eastern part of Germany and then finally concludes its story in the west.
Loosely resembling the life of artist Gerhard Rickter, the film is filled with coincidences and drama that keep the viewer deeply involved as the young artist, portrayed by Mr. Schilling, looks for and attempts to find his own reality amidst the politics and autocratic regimes of the Third Reich and the GDR. The film is 188 minutes in length but never has a 3 hour plus film been so easy to watch and that is due mainly to the superb writing, directing and acting of those in it and responsible for it. Kudos, too, to Caleb Deschanel whose camera work has earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinemaphotography. I give this film a 10 rating and can easily understand why Germany made it its entry for Best Foreign Language film of 2018.… Expand

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alejandro970

Sep 24, 2022

They say that an artist paints or sings what he sees. This biographical drama is perhaps one of the best examples, as it explains well, albeit painfully, the origin and training of an outstanding German artist. The little more than three hours of duration could be exhausting but not boring.

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GinaK

Feb 24, 2019

A long, serious, and very detailed German film about the life of a fictional German painter named Kurt Barnert, possibly modeled on Gerhard Richter. I heard about the film when it was nominated for an Academy Award, and although it deserves a nomination, I’ve seen three of the other filmsA long, serious, and very detailed German film about the life of a fictional German painter named Kurt Barnert, possibly modeled on Gerhard Richter. I heard about the film when it was nominated for an Academy Award, and although it deserves a nomination, I’ve seen three of the other films nominated and I think they are all more deserving than this one. This film follows Barnert through his early life under the Nazi regime, his years as a student painter in East Germany, and his lucky move to West Berlin just before the Berlin Wall is built. In the West, he finally “finds himself” as an artist. Thanks to a good script and more than competent acting and direction, the film is never boring, but its theme is trite since the film suggests that art is as much a matter of chance as anything else.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

bataguila

Jul 4, 2019

Excelente, dura 3 hrs y no se sienten, la historia es genial y sublime hasta las 2.5 hrs. Era lo mejor del año, hasta que se cae la peli en el desenlace, no supo el director como acabarla, no hay final. Mucho desnudo innecesario. Recomendable para Ginecos y Pintores.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

amheretojudge

May 23, 2019

The process requires long sweat inducing hard work, get on it, and cherish the cherries lying at the end of the maze.

Never Look Away Florian is a fan of art. And watching him peel off this passion thread by thread for over three hours is, I have to admit, pure joy. This marathon runs inThe process requires long sweat inducing hard work, get on it, and cherish the cherries lying at the end of the maze.

Never Look Away

Florian is a fan of art. And watching him peel off this passion thread by thread for over three hours is, I have to admit, pure joy. This marathon runs in slow motion like some profound poetry read again and again, trying to get the real essence out of it. Among many, many good qualities of the film, the obvious ones that stands out are cinematography and execution. But for me the introduction is and will be the best part. And I just don't mean the prologue, but the fabulously choreographed entry of each character in the narration. They all come in with a definite agenda that maps themselves out on the storyline and casts quite a trajectory.

For instance, the hindrance of the love track between the lead couple, i.e. the parents of the lead actress, who whips you with a jarring impression. The mother being lenient forgives her daughter even though she catches her lover red handed- or should I say naked- and the father blowing off the candle with an exhaustion showing his firm yet protective nature. But above all, you have to love its definition of art. It dares novelize art by suffering for it and embraces it in the narration as it helps at the worst moments of our characters.

And then cons it, by creating it into a pocket filling business that yes, requires skill, but loses the innocence of it. Juggling theses thoughts in its last acts, there is a soothing solace to fall into with a captivating picturization of thoughts wandering in your mind claiming themselves to be sensitive vital memories. Never Look Away, preaches our little boy's mentor and a dear friend, and he doesn't, he keeps looking, simultaneously as we do, the craft in the painting proves the point of the title.… Expand

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netflic

Feb 25, 2019

This movie is loosely based on life and experiences of a famous German artist Gerhard Richter.
The film was nominated for Oscar in the best foreign movies category. The protagonist Kurt was a young kid when Nazis came to power in Germany. As a child and a teenager he witnessed horribleThis movie is loosely based on life and experiences of a famous German artist Gerhard Richter.
The film was nominated for Oscar in the best foreign movies category. The protagonist Kurt was a young kid when Nazis came to power in Germany. As a child and a teenager he witnessed horrible things. Kurt survives the war and studies socialist realism art in the East Germany. Looking for artistic (and not only artistic) freedom, he escapes to the West Germany just before the Berlin Wall is erected.

What does it take to be a true artist?
How remarkably similar was Nazi art to Soviet realism! And how awfully false and dishonest they are.

There is a lot to think and to talk about in this movie.

I would like it more if it were not that long (over 3 hours!). Some episodes are excellent but some felt quite cheesy and lacking depth.

Overall, it is a good movie that could have been great.… Expand

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