Heli

The masterful direction, which maintains distance, precisely chooses perspective and framing (when to show everything, when to only indicate), perfectly captures the banality of evil and the suffocating mundaneness of helplessness and fear. Yes, it is cold, withdrawn, unbiased, but at the same time it is completely uncompromising, without a hint of consolation or redemption. The image of the increasingly frustrated protagonist and his tragedy-stricken family gives a chilling feeling that stands out only because the film remains procedurally factual at key moments and does not comment on the world of brutality and injustice. Everything is too mundane. The penises are burning, the grandmother is cooking, the children are watching. Reygadas's influence can be felt in some of this - especially in the non-literacy and surgically accurate capturing of the fleeting atmosphere of everyday life. Discouraging, though very uncomfortable for spectators. (02/07/2013)