Subtitles:

None

Extras:

• Trailer (2:00 in 1080P)

Markus Schleinzer’s debut film MICHAEL created a stir at its premiere at Cannes in 2011.
This is a portrait of an impassive man, remarkably (or un-remarkably) portrayed by Michael Fuith, who we observe quietly going about his suburban life – attending his work, returning with his shopping to cook dinner in his neat and tidy home.

We soon learn this man, Michael, has a boy held captive in his cellar. What makes the film so compelling is the ordinariness of their strangely domestic set up, at times they could be mistaken for father and son. Michael cuts the boy's hair, they prepare for Christmas and take trips to local parks.

The true horrors of what is going on are only implied to us.
The film deftly avoids emotions, judgement and even controversy – and as it should, we hardly need to be coerced into a feeling or opinion on this. What plays out has a cool, slow burning tension, fractured inter-mittently with shocking moments and sometimes even humour, that serve to remind the viewer of the quiet chaos that lies not only in the cellar, but which often lurks beneath the ordinary…

***

It may seem shocking to some that such ideas need to be challenged, and that's just one more way in which the film creates discomfort. Quietly, in the background, details become almost too horrible to watch. Michael chatting to boys at a motor sports event; later, asking questions about a boarding school. The boy in the basement playing with his toys, David Rauchenberger's vivid yet naturalistic performance reminding us that he is just a child. He doesn't run, he doesn't try to get help, because he is vulnerable in far more than just a physical way. But he is growing up, and small fault lines of tension are beginning to form, potentially threatening both the inhabitants of the house.

A timely and important film that traverses difficult territory with sensitivity and real insight, this is no easy watch, but it is an admirable piece of work.

Gary Tooze

May 17th, 2012