In the Fade is a German crime thriller based on the real events that took place at the 2004 Cologne terrorist bombing, but not necessarily beholden to the details of the tragedy. It stars Diane Kruger as a grieving mother who is trying to come to grips with the shocking deaths of her husband and young son, at the hands of Neo-Nazi's. It's with her performance that the film is carried through, as she more than proves that sticking her as a side character and a love interest in American films is more than a missed opportunity. It's weird to think she didn't blow up more after Inglourious Basterds, alas, In the Fade hopefully gives her more of a chance to lead more films. Essentially In the Fade comes down to a 3 act structure, in a literal sense. The terrorist attack, the courtroom scenes, and Kruger's revenge. Whether or not that works is up to you. I found there to be a lot to love about the real human drama here, and the last 15 minutes or so is quite thrilling. Not everything fits perfectly however, as crime-drama-thrillers go, this is one of the better ones.
7.9/10
7.9/10