QUICK AND DIRTY: LIVE FROM BERLIN

Set in Berlin, The Good Sister follows Rose (Marie Bloching), who has become temporarily homeless after an argument with her partner. Rose has a close bond with her older brother Sam (Anton Weil) and temporarily moves onto his couch while attempting to piece her life back together. Rose’s adoration for her brother is tested to the limits when Sam faces a rape allegation from a woman he invited back to his flat. Rose has been asked to testify against Sam as she was present on that fateful night, which firmly places her at a crossroads. Swornly devoted to her brother, Rose does not doubt Sam’s innocence, something he claims to be “just a misunderstanding”.

Rose has accidentally found herself in the middle of a game of allegiances. If she sticks to the facts as she knows them, there won’t be an issue, right? It’s not that easy because Rose doesn’t have all the answers. Her mind is fogged, just like ours, as the event in question is not black and white. The film constantly throws curveballs at viewers. The seemingly innocent hookup that we were all witness to seems exactly like that. But when the girl leaves with a shocked expression and locks eyes with Rose, we all begin to question Sam’s actions. Sam seems too relaxed about the whole thing, so why shave his head? Is this a cleansing of his sins in physical form? The pieces begin to add up when Rose eventually meets the accuser at a beauty salon and hears her statement read out by the police. Her womanly righteousness starts to take control and edge out her sibling loyalty.

Auspicious in its storytelling ability, Fischer’s writing and directing combination are wrapped in glorious constraints that insist on a need to keep the result a mystery throughout. The decision to focus on neither of the characters allows the film to develop various layers. The outcome is more of a multithreaded character study than a crime investigation. She begins to spiral, and even takes matters her own hands. Her questionable investigation tactics include a sexual encounter of her own i order to gauge the mind of the male.

Marie Bloching leads the film with remarkable commitment. Her performance is assured and mature, qualities required for a theme of such a delicate essence. Her body language is very meaningful. The pain in her eyes in noticeable during the moments of confusion. The sadness in her voice echoes through the film like a duress alarm. And you can almost make out the cogs in her head during the police interviews and the awkward exchanges with her brother. Weil to boasts scenes of note, occasionally breaking down his character’s robotic persona in order to reveal a far more complex human being.

Selma von Polheim Gravesen’s cinematography elevates Bloching’s performance. Her camera follows Rose most of the time. Viewers are allowed time to examine the character before the scene eventually expands. A bathroom scene provides one such example: Rose enters to the sound of crying and while the source is unknown to us – she can take a moment to assess the situation before proceeding with her thoughts and actions.

The slow pace of Sarah Miro Fischer’s debut feature won’t have you drifting off through disinterest because this is an intriguing film that delivers on several fronts. The German director is a serious up-and-coming talent, and one name to look out for.

The Good Sister just premiered in the Panorama section of the 75th Berlinale.