Although my German is sub-standard, I enjoyed this story of an angst-ridden cop. (I understood the significance of the clarinet, but I missed what became of it. Was the evidence lost? If so, did Kominka really want it to be found or did he have mixed feelings about it?) The acting is obviously good, thus making the romance between the detective and his suspect compellingly edgy. There is a wonderful scene in which Kominka (Gotz George) follows his suspect (Corinna Harfouch) to a singles event and finally meets her. Inevitably, she asks him what he does for a living. Because he cannot tell her that he is a homicide investigator, he becomes delightfully evasive. Kominka is distinctly not a kind man. (We see him hire and then beat up a prostitute.) But George brilliantly inhabits this character who is plagued by a failed marriage and assorted demons, and yet is able to fall in love, albeit with a forbidden object. The movie is also graced by dark images of Berlin which are nonetheless appealing to those who have enjoyed that city.
Review of Solo for Clarinet
