Two of cinema's Big Thinkers do just that in frosh Samira Gloor-Fadel's sublimely passionate docu "Berlin-Cinéma (Titre provisoire)". Wim Wenders (seen) and Jean-Luc Godard (heard) muse on space, time and place as serene images lovingly explore the restored German capital (including numerous Wenders locations) on the verge of mammoth architectural change. There's no middle ground here; pic will prove a balm for the soul of the initiated and cool liver oil on the tongue of everyone else.
Wenders is seen editing, lecturing and, in pic's strongest ongoing set piece, swapping ideas on film and design with architect Jean Nouvel. Aural punctuation exists in the form of Godard's thoughts as well as paages from German texts read by French director and thesp Rudiger Vogler, supplemented by spoken-word snippets from Wenders'films. Final element is young bicyclist, billed only as Thomas, pedaling around Berlin bemoaning the death of Rainer Werner Fassbinder and reciting from the published essays of Fassbinder, Wenders and Godard. Cumulative effect is soothing and inspirational, with ideas flying thick and fast. Tech credits are velvety and crisp, even on Toronto's projected vid.
Variety, Los Angeles - october 18, 1999 - Eddie Cockrell