Perfect Blue: Covi & Frimmel Marinate in Memories
“Everything changing all the time. Even the air you breathing change,” notes a character in August Wilson’s classic play Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1984), which encapsulates the essence of The Loneliest Man in Town, the latest documentary feature from directors Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel. Unlike like their last title, Vera, which featured actor Vera Gemma as a version of herself while also navigating a fictionalized narrative, this is more aligned with their past catalogue, such as Mister Universo (2016), following a central subject’s experiences (and enhanced by a source novel penned by Covi). Their latest finds aging Viennese blues musician Aloise Koch, aka Al Cook, during a major transitional shift in life as the last tenant being forced out of the building he was born in, catalyzing the start of a radical and unexpected new chapter in his life.
Covi and Frimmel’s works are often quiet, methodical studies, all which find their own inviting, specific rhythm. Through their observational lens, a vibrant portrait of a melancholic but complex man emerges. Koch’s life and studio are crammed with memorabilia which influenced his life and work, particularly a reverence for Elvis Presley, whom he modeled himself after. Koch still sports his rockabilly mane, now looking more like a serene version of Robert Mitchum than Presley.
The opening segment finds Koch embroiled in a futile struggle to remain in his beloved studio apartment. The standard games and threats initiated by the new real estate company eager to tear down the edifice cruelly begin on Christmas when they cut off the electricity. But in the cozy candlelight of his scraggly tannenbaum, Koch plays “Silent Night” on the guitar, a lullaby with swagger. The new building liaison brings a cartoonishly swarthy man to assist in ousting Koch, which results in a comically insidious battle of wills. When Koch at last relents, he begins to shed the vestiges of his past, deciding to head to Memphis, and attempt to realize a dream that previously seemed beyond his grasp.
A collection of curious individuals stop by to purchase his belongings, which also gives us the opportunity to learn of his intentions. As part of his goodbye tour in Vienna, he reconnects with Brigitte, an old flame, questioning why she stopped dating him abruptly. Her answer is petty but amusing, annoyed that Koch found it appropriate to give her Elvis Presley albums while she herself was an avid fan of The Beatles. Their reunion leads to Brigitte taking Koch’s new album cover photo. Within his vast collection, Koch had kept various VHS tapes of past interviews, and we’re privy to several segments, such as an ironic moment where he was railing against the close-mindedness of Austria, a place he had always intended to leave. Looking back just as he’s about to take his most daring step forward, Koch may indeed be singing about himself in the track “I’m the Loneliest Man in Town,” suggesting there are some things about him which may never change.
Reviewed on February 19th at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival (76th edition) – Main Competition. 86 mins.
★★★½/☆☆☆☆☆