Able

Able (2008)

This is an odd little German movie that I got a chance to check out as a result of getting some screeners for the Philadelphia Film Festival. An illness is tearing thru Berlin that slowly causes those who suffer from it to lose the feeling in their bodies and in the end they become paralyzed. Very few people seem to be immune to the disease; one of them eventually becomes the focus of the story. The story is basically his journey from place to place as he slowly becomes aware that he is the only one able (see get the title now?) to help those suffering around him. Of course the way in which he helps them is rather severe. There are a couple of other characters and storylines, including what I think is a serial killer taking advantage of the outbreak, but they all really exist to move the one storyline along.

This really isn’t my kind of movie. The narrative jumps all over the place and is far too confusing for me to follow. Hell I’m not even sure that most of the characters have names or are called by them in the movie at all. I was more than ¾ of the way thru the movie before I realized what the story was even supposed to be about. Really we have characters introduced, only so we can watch them kill themselves. And by introduced I mean you just sort of see them randomly show up and die, without ever knowing their names or how they connect with the rest of the story. Also I’m not sure if the filmmaker has an axe to grind with religion, but the movie spends a great deal of time spouting off twisted philosophy and rhetoric that I think is a comment on religion. Not really sure, but I can tell you it was boring to watch. Really it was just a chore to get thru.

From a technical standpoint I wasn’t thrilled by the movie. There are several onscreen deaths that are bloodless, but all the good stuff happens off screen. Then again I’m not sure they were trying to make a horror film here at all. It really has the feel of an “artsy” film school project. Though if they were in school you would think that they could light a scene. There are far too many scenes that are so poorly light that you can’t see what is going on. This makes an already difficult move to pay attention to even more so.

I just don’t have much good to say about the movie. I suppose that there might be something lost in the translation (this is a German movie as I said). Perhaps there is something in the German psyche or common experience that the movie plays to. For me I just didn’t get it and can’t recommend it. But then if you are into German cinema this might appeal to you. If you are near Philadelphia on or around the dates of March 26th thru April 6th then you can check it out at the Danger After Dark @ Philadelphia Film Festival / Cinefest 09. While I’m not a big fan of this one, they are showing some killer flicks. You can head on over to the festival’s website at http://www.phillycinefest.com/ for more information.

1 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer