"The German Doctor", Nazis in Patagonia

The German Doctor ("Wakolda" original title)

I don't know how to review this movie without spoiling it. My apologies in advance for that...

"The German Doctor" (can't understand why Spanish and Americans have chosen this silly title instead of the original "Wakolda") is supposed to be a rich and complex thriller, mixing psychological and historical elements... but the results are quite disappointing, in my opinion. 

Maybe is the attempt of mixing suspense with Bariloche's mesmerizing, idyllic surroundings and its quiet community. Or maybe is the contrast between the familiar lifestyle and the international hunting of Nazi physician Josef Mengele, but after a short while I had the feeling something wasn't going well in the development of the movie. The pieces doesn't seem to fit.

To my view, the major flaw is the lack of credibility of the script. There's no mystery whatsoever. Haven't read the novel, "Wakolda", written by the movie director Lucía Puenzo, on which the film is based, but at least on screen, is hard to understand why the family, particularly the father, takes so long to realise what's going on, and who is his unique guest. Sorry to spoil it to you, but I'm just trying to be clear: is he stupid? Don't he realise almost everyone around him is a Nazi? I seriously believe that this film should have been entitled "Nazis in Patagonia" instead, because there's little subtlety about it on the place. Starting from this point, the intrigue was minimum, appearing so many little plot-holes (Eva, Lilith's mother and her behaviour. the whole thing with the school, the photographer/librarian role) that didn't help either.

The most remarkable in "The German Doctor" is Alex Brendemühl's (one of the best Spanish actors without a doubt) performance as Mengele, and his noteworthy, at times fascinating, portray of someone who is obsessed with genetics as a tool to create a perfect race, and the troubled relation he develops with Lilith (magnetic presence of Florencia Baldo). Natalia Oreiro and Diego Peretti are also solid in their roles as Eva and Enzo, Lilith parents, but as I said before, the problem is that their roles aren't helped by the script. It is sad, as Puenzo has an undeniable talent with the camera on her hands, creating scenes where the contrast between beautiful scenery and the terrible things that are happening (or happened) impacts the audience, plus a potentially absorbing subject. But elements didn't quite combine this time. 

SCORE: 5,25/10

"We Need to Talk About Kevin", maternity's guilt

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Proceed with care. One of the most sacred taboos in history (I assume in the majority of cultures, but I'm referring to Western tradition) is, without a doubt, maternity. Maternity is always linked, defined with tenderness, sacrifice, courage, sweetness, love, knowledge... and learning. But "We Need to Talk About Kevin" dynamites this taboo. Warning made. 

Director Lynney Ramsay, adapting the homonym novel by Lionel Shriver, explains us a maternity case that is a terrible process. Doubts, extreme pain, utter defeat and desolation. That's maternity for Eva Khatchadourian, played Tilda Swinton, a masterful actress that gives another lesson in an incredibly difficult role, dealing with a monstrous kid, Kevin. Swinton is the movie, and she carries the weight in her shoulders with fierce conviction. 

Ramsay's structures the film as a constant back and forth in time, but despite being confusing sometimes (especially during the first minutes) it makes sense. The focus is always in Eva's drama, and it largely takes place in her tortured, and isolated mind. From her now desolated present, she remembers her romance with Kevin's father, Franklin, played by John C. Reilly, her trips, but also how she got pregnant, how Kevin was born, how he grew up, and how she struggled, from almost the very beginning, in her attempt to understand his devilish son. Like the theme images, the tomatoes, the red paint, the blood, all is connected in Eva's mind, With the mixture of different periods of their past and the present, we soon realise the parents failure will have a horrible climax. We see that Eva tries to piece together her life after that, but one wonders if she wouldn't prefer to be dead instead. 

"We Need to Talk About Kevin" is disturbing, not for what is shows, but for the number of questions it poses and how unafraid it is to push the boundaries of maternity's preconceived notions. Intrigues the viewer, and removes something inside. Praise Ramsay for being that brave. And as I already said, praise Swinton to portray so well, so convincingly, the face (and physiognomy, that serves so well to her role) of the devastated mother. 

But not everything works in the film. Sure, Kevin is pure evil, so bad that, no matter his age (he's played by three different actors) he has such an evil look that makes any movie villain pale by comparison. Is that credible? And Franklin, the father. Can anyone be so clueless about his son? How can he ignore it? While watching, I had the impression he was the dumbest character I ever seen on screen, giving the magnitude of the disaster. A couple of relevant facts for the development of the story were also strange/ bad resolved for me. Foremost the aforementioned climax (leaves quite a lot to the simple acceptance of the viewer) but also, the trial, the cruel treatment of the neighbours (understandable just to a certain point) and office colleagues. And the resolution of the film looks a bit tricky to me (don't worry, won't spoil it). Yeah, maternity impulses, a collapsed mind through we see it all, and the willing to know the reasons can justify almost everything. But as the poor Eva, looking for answers, not many will come. 

Intriguing, thoughtful, brave, with a fantastic Tilda Swinton, but not fully convincing.

SCORE: 6,5/10

"Martha Marcy May Marlene", identity, menace, fear

Martha Marcy May Marlene

A very tough one to rate. "Martha Marcy May Marlene" is a very disturbing film with a unique haunting quality. Would I recommend to everyone? No way. It's extremely sensitive subject, the awkward structure and its ambiguity makes it an option just for some audiences. Which is sad, as it's a movie that sticks in your head. Even if you would prefer not to.  

The movie starts with Martha escaping from a sect/cult/very peculiar commune, being welcomed by her sister Lucy. But "reintegration" to "normal" society is not going to be easy. Living with her sister and brother-in-law becomes a very tense and frightening period for her. The clash between her family and the "other family", where she lived for about two years builds a growing scenario of anxiety, paranoia and identity crisis. 

Debuting director and writer Sean Durkin builds an astonishingly absorbing character study with this film. Focused in Martha, he moves the film back and forth, mixing Martha's memories/flashbacks of her time within the cult with her "new life" with Lucy. Avoiding the scabrous possibilities such a subject could have had, the transitions are smart, serving lucidly the director's purpose of confronting two defining "ways of living", and the devastating confusion it provokes on Martha, her mental health being seriously affected. Durkin delivers, being quite an impressive achievement for a first film.

Of course, if "Martha Marcy May Marlene" succeeds, is thanks to the spectacular work of Elizabeth Olsen as Martha. In an striking performance (sort of ridiculous she wasn't even nominated for an Oscar), more so if you consider she's is also debuting, she's capable of showing the many sides her extremely complex has: from innocence to an extreme fragility, from isolation to a fierce and silent composure. Stunning job that makes the audience suffer her pain and feel the (real, imaginary?) menace that don't go away.  

Having praised the film up to this point, it is fair also to express the various concerns I have, being them the reason that makes this film a good and very special movie, but far from the masterpiece it had the potential to be. My strongest concern is the exacerbated, and deliberated use of the ellipsis as a resource to build ambiguity/shock the viewer of this film. I'm not referring to its abrupt ending (works as a disturbing, more terrifying climax) but to the lack of information on Martha's past, family relations, entrance on the cult. I'm the biggest defender of the rule "show it, don't say it" but "Martha Marcy May Marlene" don't do any of them. It's hard for us to understand why Lucy (Sarah Paulson) behaves the way she does with her sister without any input on their common past (just glimpses of it). It's great when a film leaves us with questions, but this film has too many.

The other concern, quite linked to the previous one, is the lack of development of almost any other character on the film. I say almost, because Patrick, the leader of the cult, is another puzzling, scary and darkly engaging character, performed with brilliance by John Hawkes, an equally brilliant actor (same comment about nominations is valid for him). But aside from that, the rest of the cast is quite flat. Could be understandable in the case of the sect members (although some scenes, a couple of them in particular, are quite confusing as a result) due their annihilation of personalities, but again, not with Lucy and her husband. 

But anyway, despite its flaws, "Martha Marcy May Marlene" is a very remarkable, disturbing and powerful film. 

SCORE: 6,75/10