My Neighbor Adolf

Filming a dark comedy about an inherently controversial subject is an exceedingly risky moviemaking proposition. If it works, the payoff can be huge. But, if it falls flat, the project not only fails financially and artistically, but it can devastate a filmmaker’s reputation, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of viewers, critics and possible prospective backers of future productions. And that fate could very well befall the creative team behind this questionable attempt at making an edgy farce about a topic that, frankly, is unlikely to be seen as intrinsically funny. Writer-director Leonid Prudovsky’s second feature offering – a 2022 production just now getting a general release – tells the story of Holocaust survivor Marek Polsky (David Hayman), who relocates from Europe to rural Colombia after losing his entire family during World War II. He lives a quiet, reclusive existence, but that changes in 1960, when a mysterious new neighbor, Hermann Herzog (Udo Kier), moves into an adjacent property. No sooner does Mr. Herzog arrive when Marek begins having serious suspicions about him, namely, that he may, in fact, be former German Chancellor Adolf Hitler, who, despite his supposed 1945 suicide, successfully managed to clandestinely escape to Latin America and go into hiding. Based on a boatload of circumstantial evidence, Marek shares his observations with Israeli intelligence officials, but the chief investigator (Kineret Peled) is convinced his contentions are false, claims driven by the recent capture of former Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. Undeterred, however, Polsky continues his impromptu inquiry, a scenario couched in a narrative that follows the tired comedic tropes found in any number of feuding neighbor stories (particularly, given the age of the cantankerous protagonists, “Grumpy Old Men” (1993) and its 1995 sequel), with a few buddy movie elements thrown in for allegedly good measure. But, considering the premise of this picture, what’s funny about any of it? That’s exacerbated by the film’s uneven tone, slapstickish humor, puzzling subplots and subpar writing, not to mention its lack of back stories about the two leads. Hayman and recently deceased German character actor Kier do their level best to make this material look better than it actually is, but, to be honest, they’re fighting a losing battle here. And, even though the picture tries to redeem itself with some surprisingly touching moments in the final act, this is still a bona fide case of too little too late to make up for all of the shortcomings that preceded them. However, the fundamental problem with “My Neighbor Adolf” rests with the basis underlying the project. A comedy whose roots are tied to the Third Reich is dubious to begin with, and it would take the skills of a masterful writing and directing crew to make it work, neither of which is present here. Indeed, if that were really assumed to be the case, then why did it take almost four years for the picture to be released? Certain story proposals clearly need to be left on the shelf, and this, undoubtedly, is one that should have been left to continue collecting dust.