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Phoenix (2014) -
I was hesitant to check this out since I feel like I've seen all fiction and nonfiction about World War II under the sun, but I'm very glad I did. A postwar story, it's about singer and Holocaust survivor Nelly (Nina Hoss), who not only has to start her life all over again, but also with a completely new face since a gunshot wound required reconstructive surgery. Despite a lucrative offer from friend and protector Lene to move from Berlin to what would become Israel, she seeks out husband and fellow musician Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld), who works at a nearby nightclub with the same name as the title. While labeled as a drama, the suspense resulting from what follows, such as whether Johnny will recognize her, Johnny's plans for this new "stranger" in his life or what Nelly learns about his wartime activities makes thriller more fitting.
Having seen the also great Transit and Undine, I'm glad this movie also demonstrates Petzold’s talent for telling crisply written stories in which the performances are the special effects and that have an elegant, handcrafted quality. It's also reassuring that after many years of watching movies and subjecting myself to all kinds of CGI and explosions that movies relying and only relying on these elements can still affect me. To be more specific, Hoss and Zehrfeld's performances may prove that less is more, i.e., ones where a single look, a gesture (or lack thereof) cut deeply. I also appreciate the references to classics with similar stories like Vertigo, which are well-timed and do not remove you from the moment. Oh, and if you’ve already predicted that this movie's ending leaves a mark, I'm not ashamed to spoil that you are right. I also have to give credit to composer and frequent Petzold collaborator Stefan Will's mournful, jazzy and atmospheric score, which sets just the right tone. The movie does require quite a bit of suspension of disbelief on the audience's part - after all, can someone really look that different, especially with early 1940's surgical techniques - but after considering how good everything else is, this is more nitpick than flaw. It results in what could end up being another World War II classic that proves that Petzold is also an expert at stories about identity in flux, and for lack of better words (and a dollar to Hideo Kojima), if love can bloom on a battlefield.
I was hesitant to check this out since I feel like I've seen all fiction and nonfiction about World War II under the sun, but I'm very glad I did. A postwar story, it's about singer and Holocaust survivor Nelly (Nina Hoss), who not only has to start her life all over again, but also with a completely new face since a gunshot wound required reconstructive surgery. Despite a lucrative offer from friend and protector Lene to move from Berlin to what would become Israel, she seeks out husband and fellow musician Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld), who works at a nearby nightclub with the same name as the title. While labeled as a drama, the suspense resulting from what follows, such as whether Johnny will recognize her, Johnny's plans for this new "stranger" in his life or what Nelly learns about his wartime activities makes thriller more fitting.
Having seen the also great Transit and Undine, I'm glad this movie also demonstrates Petzold’s talent for telling crisply written stories in which the performances are the special effects and that have an elegant, handcrafted quality. It's also reassuring that after many years of watching movies and subjecting myself to all kinds of CGI and explosions that movies relying and only relying on these elements can still affect me. To be more specific, Hoss and Zehrfeld's performances may prove that less is more, i.e., ones where a single look, a gesture (or lack thereof) cut deeply. I also appreciate the references to classics with similar stories like Vertigo, which are well-timed and do not remove you from the moment. Oh, and if you’ve already predicted that this movie's ending leaves a mark, I'm not ashamed to spoil that you are right. I also have to give credit to composer and frequent Petzold collaborator Stefan Will's mournful, jazzy and atmospheric score, which sets just the right tone. The movie does require quite a bit of suspension of disbelief on the audience's part - after all, can someone really look that different, especially with early 1940's surgical techniques - but after considering how good everything else is, this is more nitpick than flaw. It results in what could end up being another World War II classic that proves that Petzold is also an expert at stories about identity in flux, and for lack of better words (and a dollar to Hideo Kojima), if love can bloom on a battlefield.