A film with a fascinating premise of a Jewish art dealer befriending a painter in post-World War I Munich called Adolf Hitler, such an idea is nevertheless the extent of where the material peaks. Inevitably, the idea brings with it a few scenes and some dialogue that are thought-provoking, but the overall effect does not leave a strong impression. Noah Taylor has a number of interesting moments as Hitler, but then again, it often feels like he is slipping into caricature. The really big question though is why make a movie about Max, when he is totally devoid of interest? Noah Taylor has the most interesting element of the film in his possession, however he pretty much is sidelined during the course of the film. The film being fictitious is no help to grasping one's attention, and there are a few sound recording problems, with the background noises and speech recorded at the same level, but there are other more important issues preventing it from being what it potentially could have been. The film has interesting elements either way, but it is not quite as fascinating to watch as it is to think about the premise.
