A poignant, heartfelt & gripping story of love, loss, betrayal & retribution, Phoenix is crafted with composure, narrated with sensitivity, brims with suppressed emotions and is further elevated by a smashing lead performance from Nina Hoss to finish as a a heartbreaking love story & a satisfying revenge drama.
Set at the aftermath of the Second World War, Phoenix tells the story of a disfigured concentration camp survivor who after undergoing a facial reconstruction surgery for damage caused by a bullet wound returns to Berlin to look for her husband whom she still loves but who also may have played a role in betraying her to the Nazis.
Co-written & directed by Christian Petzold, the film is attention grabbing from the first sequence & sets its main plot in a very calm but steady manner. The post-World War atmosphere is wonderfully recreated, the camera always keeps its focus on the characters than the surroundings they are in, editing unfolds the plot at a relaxed pace while music remains in sync with transpiring events.
The performances however add a great deal to the story plus the scripted characters exhibit some welcome depth which its cast is able to explore quite conveniently in their given roles. Leading the entire cast from the front is Nina Hoss in a terrific turn as the Holocaust survivor and her chemistry with both Ronald Zehrfeld & Nina Kunzendorf, who play her husband & friend respectively, simply clicks.
On an overall scale, Phoenix brims with great emotional depth, compelling characters & a riveting storyline and is one amongst the better films of its year. The screenplay alone is strong enough to carry the whole picture all the way but the expertly carried out technical aspects & sincere inputs from its cast adds enhancements of its own to the entire experience. Emotionally resonant & thoroughly fine-tuned, this German drama is worth a shot.
Set at the aftermath of the Second World War, Phoenix tells the story of a disfigured concentration camp survivor who after undergoing a facial reconstruction surgery for damage caused by a bullet wound returns to Berlin to look for her husband whom she still loves but who also may have played a role in betraying her to the Nazis.
Co-written & directed by Christian Petzold, the film is attention grabbing from the first sequence & sets its main plot in a very calm but steady manner. The post-World War atmosphere is wonderfully recreated, the camera always keeps its focus on the characters than the surroundings they are in, editing unfolds the plot at a relaxed pace while music remains in sync with transpiring events.
The performances however add a great deal to the story plus the scripted characters exhibit some welcome depth which its cast is able to explore quite conveniently in their given roles. Leading the entire cast from the front is Nina Hoss in a terrific turn as the Holocaust survivor and her chemistry with both Ronald Zehrfeld & Nina Kunzendorf, who play her husband & friend respectively, simply clicks.
On an overall scale, Phoenix brims with great emotional depth, compelling characters & a riveting storyline and is one amongst the better films of its year. The screenplay alone is strong enough to carry the whole picture all the way but the expertly carried out technical aspects & sincere inputs from its cast adds enhancements of its own to the entire experience. Emotionally resonant & thoroughly fine-tuned, this German drama is worth a shot.