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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Berlin Syndrome
Quote: Berlin Syndrome is a 2017 Australian psychological thriller film directed by Cate Shortland.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Sun May 28, 2017 11:29 pm |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Berlin Syndrome
Traveling alone in Germany, an Australian photographer (Teresa Palmer) has a one-night stand with a handsome teacher (Sense8's Max Riemelt). The next day, she is unable to leave. He assures her he simply forgot to leave the key, but she soon realizes he has removed the SIM card from her cell phone and has no intention of ever freeing her from his apartment, which is in an isolated part of the city and has double-paned windows. This slowly burning psychological suspense film is another very fine picture by Cate Shortland, director of the coming-of-age yarn Somersault and Lore, a story of a teenage girl coming to terms with her parents' Nazism during the waning days of World War II. Berlin Syndrome's highlights include two dynamic performances, particularly by Teresa Palmer, a fetching actress often underutilized in love-interest roles in mainstream American films, and a willingness to face head on its thorny emotions and themes without sensationalizing or simplifying: the captor, for example, is shown to be capable of utter monstrosity, but also incredibly frail and human, even pitiful. My only complaint of note is a slightly anticlimactic ending: I did not expect or desire a dramatic fight on the rooftop or a slasher-movie chase sequence, but the final moments are perhaps too subtle, too underplayed.
A-
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Sun Jun 18, 2017 12:37 pm |
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stuffp
Keeping it Light
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:06 am Posts: 11204 Location: Bright Falls
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Re: Berlin Syndrome
A pretty great kidnapping drama led by two very strong leads. It's starts off a bit slow, but once Palmer has found herself locked in, anything that happens afterwards is interesting. From her struggles coping with the situation, attempts to break out and the guy seemingly considering what he's doing normal. I was easily fascinated by the events and wondered about what'd happen next, and the ending with him finally getting trapped in the apartment himself was good closure I thought. Throughout her imprisonment I felt she should've or could've done more to lead to an escape sooner, but it was also not very clear for how long she was locked in, although it seems months. The guy and his father dynamic I also didn't totally get, it was mostly in German and watched without subs, but semi-knowing German I thought that was ok, it just didn't contribute anything meaningful. There was also a bit too much use of slow-motion, but nonetheless the time spend time with Palmer in the apartment, which was most of the time, is full of suspense. Shortland did a pretty good job with this, and glad they chose her for the Black Widow film.
B+
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Sat Nov 17, 2018 8:41 am |
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