The Foster Boy

The Foster Boy offers a strong and incredibly raw story, dominated by the harsh atmosphere of the Swiss mountains and especially by the quality of the performances, of which I was most impressed by the young Max Hubacher in the lead role of a poor and life-tested orphan Max, and Katja Riemann, whose callous, almost raven-haired mother is a far cry from the crazy headmistress from Suck Me Shakespeer. But the other actors were also extremely convincing, especially the filthy and violent Max Simonischek. The film mixes the harsh and raw reality of children in a place full of hardships with their naive view of the world, and you really feel sorry for the main characters. Happiness and hope have no place in this story, they are pushed away by suffering and disappointment, but as they say, hope dies last. The film deals with a number of social issues, from poverty, to domestic violence and paedophilia, and portrays the authentically unforgiving reality of years gone by, to the point where it sends shivers down your spine. (11/03/2019)