Hoschek, the former bank branch manager's deputy, returns to his parents' empty apartment and practices the fine art of failure amidst Donauland suggestion books, large-patterned curtains and a rather out-of-tune piano. After losing his job and ending his marriage, the anti-hero played by Alfred Dorfer reviews his life. Heinz Hoschek constantly oscillates between bitter irony and self-pity, between imagination and reality, between a hopeful then and his now, which can only be endured with increased consumption of alcohol and Valium. No doubt about it: the man is an underachiever.
Acting
Dorfer's physical comedy of pathetic collapse.
Production
Hideous curtains as character study.
Director
Peter Payer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The ravioli brand featured was real and reportedly saw a post-film sales spike from ironic viewers.
Dorfer was already famous in Austria for political cabaret; this role weaponized that persona against itself.
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