Grill point

La grisaille et la morosité de la frontière est-allemande, la rusticité de la prise de vue manuelle, la fatalité glaciale de l’infidélité, tout ça opère de façon efficace et convaincante. Du grand spectacle joué par des acteurs que je ne connaissais pas du tout. Le cinéma allemand est toujours d’un bon niveau. (24/08/2008)

Pure improvisation with a seven-member crew, a raw camera and situations that are so ingeniously constructed that (I dare say) they can't be created like this in a civil way other than on the set. Dresen is an absolute master whose ability to lead improvisation goes hand in hand with Lars von Trier, Mike Leigh and Ken Loach. However, this is not about stealing - this method is one that cannot be stolen... For me, a very fundamental film about mundaneness, marriage, taken out of context. A touching film where laughter and tears alternate as unexpectedly as in life. At the same time, however, the film does not want to look authentic and still mischievously winks at the viewer by confessing to art - paradoxically, this makes it even more urgent. (26/03/2012)