Victoria

Another wild night in Berlin is coming to an end, but that's just the beginning of the adventure for young Spaniard Victoria (Laia Costa). When she meets Sonne (Frederick Lau) and his buddies Boxer (Franz Rogowski), Blinker (Burak Yigit) and Fuß (Max Mauff) outside a club, she initially thinks she's just going to hang out with likeable Berlin boys for a moment. Not a bad outlook, especially since the spark between her and Sonne is instantaneous. But after a few hilarious moments and a tingling flirtation, the situation changes abruptly. Because Sonne and his friends still have a debt to pay. And for that they are supposed to shoot a supposedly foolproof, but highly illegal thing. And since Foot has gotten unrestrainedly drunk, Sonne asks Victoria to fill in as driver. It's supposed to be just a small, harmless favor, but it will change the young woman's life forever...

Sebastian Schipper has directed an extremely interesting, challenging drama with Victoria. It's certainly not the first film to have been shot entirely in one take - or rather, to pretend to have been shot in one take. Because when it was shot on film, rather than digitally, it was impossible. to shoot 90 minutes or more in one take without changing the film reel several times. And so there simply had to be a little trickery with perfectly placed cuts. But even though it took the switch to digital cameras to make it possible to direct a film over two hours long in one take, this stylistic device isn't really new.

That doesn't make the performance by Schipper and his team, especially the actors and cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grøvlen, any less impressive. Since it wasn't shot on a delineated set, but at various locations around Berlin, this was a logistical feat that had to be performed at its best, including keeping uninformed passersby from disrupting the shoot and getting a handle on all 150 extras and 22 locations. And all that between 4:30 and 7 in the morning. No easy undertaking - but the effort was worth it. Because this unusual style, which is also challenging for the viewer, makes the trip that the title character in Victoria goes through extremely tangible and intense.

To feel that way, though, you have to struggle through the first hour. At first sight it seems a bit trivial and reminds of a somewhat churlish version of Before Sunset. There is dredging in broken English what the stuff holds, alcohol consumed and bawling through Berlin run. This may seem a bit petty and exhausting. But when events spiral and Victoria becomes embroiled in a bank robbery and its dramatic aftermath, the slow build pays off in full. The film is very poignant in showing how quickly a person's life can change. The young woman who seems so cheerful will never be the same after just two hours. Certainly, whether you really need to know all that you learn about her and Sonne in the first hour is open to question. But there's no question that the ambitious staging and extended introduction of the characters in a rather light-hearted context ultimately lead to the intense impact that Victoria undoubtedly has. If you appreciate intense arthouse cinema from Germany and can get involved with the challenging production, you'll get a very special trip with this drama that you won't soon forget. Worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp