Toronto. Erik Nietzsche: The Early Years.

"Having built his international reputation with a restless need to reinvent himself and, more recently, a string of caustic pieces of satire, [Lars] Von Trier does a full on about face here, trading in his vitriol and raw cinematography for a beautifully- and very conventionally - shot piece of nostalgia," writes Todd Brown at Twitch. "Though directed by Jacob Thuesen rather than Von Trier himself, [Erik Nietzsche: The Early Years] is a surprisingly gentle comedy, a reminiscence of Von Trier's time in film school and the transformation of a young man into a coldly opportunistic businessman."

"[I]t's funny, but it's just not absorbing," writes Monika Bartyzel at Cinematical. "his is partially because von Trier does not have a specific message, other than the importance of being tough and ruthless.... All in all, Erik Nietzsche: The Early Years is a moderately fun film for the regular film buff, and probably something a little more special to those who share Erik's lusty eye for film equipment."

"Hysterical, insightful and thoroughly entertaining, the film is also a compelling look at the growth and maturation of not just an artist but a man... a man who finds his spine and asserts himself into greatness," writes Aaron Dobbs.

Posted by dwhudson at October 2, 2007 7:52 AM