Fate brought Gabi and Charlie together as they were fellow passengers who fell in love, while travelling to Bucharest. After discovering that Gabi is married to a brutal thug he tries to liberate Gabi from her husband.
This is a weird and self-indulgent affair that is easy to mock but that, just occasionally, captures the romantic feel of the equally pretentious but magical Leos Carax films of the late 1980s.
The weird filmography of Shia LaBeouf, from Fury to Nymphomaniac via Transformers, continues with an ecstasy-fuelled excursion to eastern Europe in the bizarre The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman.
Even though you learn that Charlie is absolute aces at running from bad guys, the character pretty much remains a confusing, empty vessel. As does the movie.
As for Shia, he's wildly self-indulgent and narcissistic: all puppy eyes, emoting and angsting like there's no tomorrow. He just doesn't know when eneouf is eneouf.
It's a thoroughly queasy pastiche of magic-realism/coming-of-age/romantic-thriller/bloody-Chiclets nonsense (and when I say "nonsense" I am substituting a much stronger word).
A wildly unauthentic offering, that manages to take such raw, human emotions, and produce a picture that revels, frustratingly, in frivolity and irreverence.
LaBeouf, who throws himself whole-heartedly into every role regardless of its worth, is a fearless and fascinating actor, and his sincerity holds the entire sleazy mess together.
