Christian Petzold directed Nina Hoss in one of my favorite films, Phoenix, so I looked forward to seeing "Jerichow" from 2008.
This is a loose remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice with a touch of Fassbender's Ali: Fear Eats the Soul. Petzold creates a noir atmosphere in his story of a dishonorably discharged Afghanistan veteran Thomas (Benno Furmann) who returns to Germany in order to rebuild and live in his father's home. Unfortunately, his brother steals the money he had hidden and knocks him unconscious.
Thomas eventually becomes the driver for Ali (Hilmi Sozer), a Turkish-German businessman who owns a chain of snack bars. Thomas then meets and falls in love with Ali's beautiful young wife Laura (Nina Hoss). The two fall in love, with Ali, a generous employer and abusive alcoholic, standing between them.
Lovely beach locations in an around Brandenberg, Germany is a highlight of this film. There are some beautiful scenes -- Laura going to see Thomas in the rain; Thomas coming up behind her while hiding from the suspicious Ali; Ali's drunken dancing on the beach. These all contribute to a beautifully-made film.
There have been comments that this is a political allegory, and it can definitely be seen as that too. On the surface, it's a love triangle with a twist. Petzold is an excellent director whose work deserves to be seen.
This is a loose remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice with a touch of Fassbender's Ali: Fear Eats the Soul. Petzold creates a noir atmosphere in his story of a dishonorably discharged Afghanistan veteran Thomas (Benno Furmann) who returns to Germany in order to rebuild and live in his father's home. Unfortunately, his brother steals the money he had hidden and knocks him unconscious.
Thomas eventually becomes the driver for Ali (Hilmi Sozer), a Turkish-German businessman who owns a chain of snack bars. Thomas then meets and falls in love with Ali's beautiful young wife Laura (Nina Hoss). The two fall in love, with Ali, a generous employer and abusive alcoholic, standing between them.
Lovely beach locations in an around Brandenberg, Germany is a highlight of this film. There are some beautiful scenes -- Laura going to see Thomas in the rain; Thomas coming up behind her while hiding from the suspicious Ali; Ali's drunken dancing on the beach. These all contribute to a beautifully-made film.
There have been comments that this is a political allegory, and it can definitely be seen as that too. On the surface, it's a love triangle with a twist. Petzold is an excellent director whose work deserves to be seen.