Film Reviews

Requiem

• Rating:
• Director: Hans-Christian Schmid.
• Starring: Sandra Huller, Imogen Kogge, Anna Blomeier, Nicholas Reinke.
• Details: Germany / 89mins (15).

The distributors call this 'the real Exorcism Of Emily Rose', which isn't doing the film any favours as that wasn't the greatest movie in the world. However, watching the end credits roll, I realised that the distributors are telling the truth - it's just as disappointing. Based on a true story, Requiem follows a year in the life of 21-year-old epileptic Michaela (Huller), a first year university student in Germany. As the term progresses, Michaela's fits get worse and soon the devout Catholic can't even pray without been set upon by invisible demons. Her hometown priest takes matters into his own hands and decides to perform an exorcism. With another thinly-disguised film documenting the supposed destructive power of women's sexuality, director Schmid takes a less than convincing approach to his film, as we're observing from a distance and don't get to see or hear the demons that torture Michaela. Although new, that doesn't give the audience the opportunity to feel what Michaela is feeling and we're left with a rather cold and unfeeling movie. Huller, for her part, is very subtle and delivers a deliberately ambiguous performance. However, Schmid's documentary approach doesn't lend itself to any sympathy for Michaela's plight. A recent interview with Schmid revealed that he wanted an anti-audience movie. Well, full marks, then.

Review by Gavin Burke