A Glorious Mess (Messies: Ein schoenes Chaos)

A Reasonable & Ugly presentation in colaboration with SRF, 3Sat. (Worldwide sales: Fair & Ugly, Bern.) Created, directed by Ulrich Grossenbacher. Compiled by Thomas Moll, Grossenbacher, Nadia Costs.With: Arthur Santschi, Trudi, Karl, Elmira, Thomas, Gerhard. (German dialogue)Four individuals who can't stop themselves from gathering stuff are observed with empathy and amusement in Swiss-made "A Glorious Mess," helmer Ulrich Grossenbacher's second feature docu. Topically like the American reality series "Hoarders" however with less focus on therapy, this slow-burning but rewarding study involves a quartet of packrats who go swimming doggedly from the current inside a nation frequently indicated, some might say stereotyped, by its dependence on neatness and order. This crowdpleaser should carve a tidy niche by itself on upmarket cable stations. Player Arthur Santschi's unwieldy assortment of rusting equipment has disseminate over his estate, lowering the wrath of his neighbors as well as an especially persnickety bureaucrat named Gerhard, who's going to cleanup the eyesore. Karl's stuff generally is pushing his wife Trudi from him. Elmira needs to pick her way around a condo stacked with tapes she's made from radio programs. Apparently probably the most practical, Thomas recycles stuff he finds to create interesting inventions. Helmer/lenser/co-author Grossenbacher consistently coaxes revealing findings and significant moments, just like a near-final shot of Gerhard thoroughly moving up a thrown away lead tube.Camera (color, HD), Grossenbacher editor, Maya Schmid music, Resil Burrl. Examined on DVD, London, August. 23, 2011. (In Locarno Film Festival -- Critics' Week.) Running time: 117 MIN. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com