Reviews

John Alcott, Kubrick's cinematographer for Barry Lyndon and a few of his other films shot this, and there are very obvious lineages between some of the images here and 'Full Metal Jacket', although Alcott passed away a year that film was shot.

But this film is neither a biopic, nor is it a 'slice of life' film that shows a few days or weeks in the life of someone, as films such as 'Blonde', 'Spencer' or 'Jackie' do so well.

Director Jerzy Skolimowski shot most of the film in Germany, where a young, inexperienced Mike (John Moulder-Brown) takes his first job at a Bath-house.

Much of the first half of the film feels like a European film, (perhaps to keep in tune with the location), as there are long scenes that are dialogue heavy and static cameras with barely any action to speak of; but the film is teaching the viewer about the lead character all the time and it demands...

However, there is so much subtext in the film, that the title could refer to the huge wind turbines that dominate the sky line of the region, and provide a driver to the animosity between the two families in the film.

It's a road trip coming of age film with one additional element - the horror.

Sallam is Jordanian (the film was shot in Jordan), and in her first narrative feature, smartly directs on what must have been a shoestring budget, from the point of view of Farha, which we learn at the end is based on a true story (Sallam learned about it from her Palestinian father).

Antonioni's cinema is so ethereal and dreamy, which I love, but this film slightly went over my head.

The audience is held to ransom at the end - as there is a character choice that is so important to the film.

There are little spots of hope, mainly manifested in the characters resilience but this is a film that isn't a fairytale.