Film Festival 09 - Jerichow
Jerichow
Germany 2008, 93m
Director: Christian Petzold
Festivals: Venice, Toronto, Pusan 2008; Rotterdam 2009
The vanguard figure of the 'New Berlin School', Christian Petzold
(Yella) brings his steely eye and mesmerising regular actress Nina
Hoss to a 21st-century refit of The Postman always Rings Twice set
in the beautiful, economically hard-pressed German Northeast.
"Following a fateful encounter, Ali, an affable but shrewd and
boozy Turkish businessman turns to Thomas, a mysterious and
handsome ex-soldier, for help in managing his product distribution
to his string of 45 snack bars. Sparks ignite when Thomas meets
Ali's willowy, blonde wife Laura (Hoss) and the two attempt, though
rather poorly, to suppress their mutual mounting desire. A
meticulously constructed story of betrayal, secrecy, and sexual
passion, Jerichow deftly plays with the conventions of a love
triangle, and fashions a chamber piece that is pristinely shot,
intricately detailed, and finely acted, flirting with but
ultimately defying genre." - Andréa Picard, Cinematheque
Ontario
In German with English subtitles
