StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

murtaza murad Austria has been hitting aces with films like THE COUNTERFEITERS and REVANCHE and again with BREATHING, the country proves it has got what it takes to be considered amongst quality film making countries.The film is small and poignant driven by a brave, bold and haunting performance by Thomas Schubert. The boy delves deep into the character and comes up with a nuance and sincerely enriched performance stating that he clearly lived every second of the film and literally felt the character making him able to wear the character over himself like a costume.The supporting cast was adequate and served their purpose decently.Karl Markovics is a known actor who inspired me with his acting skills in THE COUNTERFEITERS but here he comes up with an even better film and inspires with his directing and writing skills. The scenes were meticulously crafted, the feelings of the reclusive lead character were so rich that one watching the film can easily feel the mental pain and torture that he goes through.The scenes i like best were when the Schubert releases the trapped bird, it carefully tells how his character has evolved into someone less brutal and caring person.The score by Herbert Tucmandl and cinematography by Martin Gschlacht was cool and provided with the accurate mood of the film; dense, low but yet beautiful.This movie might not be appealing to everyone but the lovers of art-drama films will surely cherish this small gem from Austria.

shatguintruo Through the magnificent photography of Martin Gschlacht, we take science, right in the opening scenes, that we are facing a movie totally different then those we saw before. Initially controversial (due to the fact of stupendous interpretation of Thomas Schubert) Roman Kogler will creeping in our imagination as one more important character in movie's history. Take, for example, the scene in which, after more day of labor, he comes back to "his home" : when he observes the others passengers, as if the was trying to guess how the lives of those "unknown": Are they happy? Do they fight among themselves? Do they have enough money to sustain themselves? What are theirs aspirations (secret or not)? After all these thoughts, the final question (made in silence to himself and looking out through the glass train's window, which reflects his inner loniless): And how my life would be without having to go back to "home" = Prison? Poignant film! Karin Lischka (almost the same level of interpretation of Thomas Schubert) is simply sensational when she reveals brutally, bluntly, that she tried to kill his own son! Must-see movie for all those who enjoy a film in which the Director (Karl Markovics) seeks to dissect with a scalpel, the soul of all his characters. On a scale of 1 to 10, rating: 10 (masterpiece).

scotmalez This is a movie about guilt, dreams, redemption and ultimately hope. You won't like 18 year old Roman Kogler at first. He is sullen, uncommunicative, and in prison. Nobody else seems to like him either. He doesn't like himself. Beset by inner demons, he has committed some unspeakable crime. His only ally is the probation officer who is helping him to find a job that will convince a parole board that Roman is worthy to be released back into the community. Through the course of the movie we learn that he is a boy who has been dealt a bad hand in life. Brought up in care, he has been a lost soul who made a tragic mistake that caused him to spend his teenage years in detention. A job in the city morgue proves to be the turning point in the movie, and in his life. This job is the symbol of his eventual redemption. As his prison peers turn away from him in disgust at his choice of job, his equally wary co-workers, initially sceptical at having a convicted criminal in their midst, soon become accepting of the boy, and eventually encourage him to develop in his new role. A stroke of fate during a call-out one day, leads Roman down a path of self-discovery, which will help him to understand why he became the person he now is, and allows the audience to explore the damaged relationship, which needs to be repaired before the boy can address his inner demons and move on with his life. This is stark, often graphic, but never dull. You will end up liking Roman. As he understands what has brought him to this point in his life, he begins to like himself more. He exhibits an inner strength and confidence that belies his young years. You can be sure he will make a success of himself, in spite of the bad start that life offered him.

Superunknovvn Karl Markovics had to work hard to escape his signature role as Stockinger, the funny sidekick in the popular TV show "Kommissar Rex". It took a lot of "serious" theater work and the leading role in Stefan Ruzowitzky's Academy Award winning "Die Fälscher" until he finally got the respect he deserved as an actor. Now Markovics goes on to prove his talents extend beyond just acting: "Atmen" is his debut as a writer and director - and he hits the bull's eye on the first try.Apparently, Markovics has worked on a lot of script ideas over the years, but never deemed any of them good enough to be developed into a movie. Finally his wife convinced him to go through with one of those ideas, and rightfully so. "Atmen" is an artistic triumph. Not only is the script brilliantly written, but it is also flawlessly executed. The direction seems almost effortless, as if Markovics was already an old master. He seems to know intentionally what to show when, he's got a great eye for frames and unagitated pictures, and, an actor himself, he naturally knows how to direct other actors. That's not to take away from the great cast. Veteran stars like Georg Friedrich and Karl Rott don't disappoint, but the focus lies on Thomas Schubert who says a lot with just facial expressions. Obviousl,y the movie's success depended on Schubert's performance and the first time actor lives up to the task. He's a great talent. Hopefully we'll see more of him in the future."Atmen" is a touching and believable movie about life and death, tight-lipped, but never boring, bleak, but in the end optimistic. It's very authentic in its depiction of Vienna, its depiction of a boy who hasn't been dealt the best cards in life. And, most of all, it's got its heart in the right place. This really deserves an Oscar win - much more than "Die Fälscher" did, actually.