‘Every Time’ review: An intriguing melancholy drama that delivers its best moments in hindsight

The second exciting film by Austrian writer Sandra Wöllner, Birth problemwas a suspenseful and suspenseful film that played like an episode of a series Western world Directed by Michael Haneke. The film was absolutely charming and crazy, telling the story of a baby robot who finds himself in the care of a man with big problems – and I mean big problems.

It’s not worth spoiling this movie, which is currently available on Mubi and is definitely worth a watch. follow walner, every timeit’s not worth spoiling either, although one problem with this rather interesting family saga is that the spoilers arrive far behind schedule. So subtle that it’s sometimes difficult to discern much of the plot, this meticulously crafted tale of grief and recovery doesn’t resonate until it finally does in a big way. But when that happens, it may seem like it’s too much, and it’s too late.

Which is a shame, because the film showcases Woolner’s talent for injecting genuine discomfort into ordinary events, whether it’s a creepy stroll through the streets of Berlin, a text message sent to a deceased person, or a trip to the increasingly surreal Canary Islands. But at two long hours and without much sustained narrative, every time It never gives us enough to latch on to, even if its big twist at the end leaves us with something to think about.

Underpinned by the austere aesthetics of a Berliner School feature (the work of Angela Schanelek especially comes to mind), the film follows a family of three women who, at least for the first twenty minutes, have nothing really special going on in their lives. A divorced mother, Ella (Birgitte Minichmeier), takes care of her teenage daughters, Jessica (Karla Huttermann) and young Millie (Lotte Keeling), who fight frequently because they have to share the same bedroom. Whenever she can, Jessica sneaks away to spend time with her boyfriend Lux ​​(Tristan Lopez), a quiet type who likes to party a lot.

When they are about to leave for summer vacation, tragedy strikes when Jessica suddenly dies. As is the case with much of what we see in… every timeit’s not entirely clear Why She died: Did she kill herself? Getting into a freak accident? Took too much medication and made a huge mistake? Woolner is less interested in finding a reason for what happened than in depicting how Jessica’s death affected the lives of her loved ones in the following months, using ellipses to jump forward and focus on how each of them reacted.

As a portrait of human behavior in the wake of a devastating loss, the film feels both thoughtful and compassionate, revealing how everyone does their best to move on but can never get Jessica off their minds. Ella continues to care for Millie, who misses her sister very much but is also still a child discovering life for herself. Lux goes away to Texas, then comes back and seems to have a new girlfriend, although he can’t stop thinking about his guilt regarding Jessica’s disappearance.

What happens is never boring, and is well acted and skillfully crafted – widescreen cinematography by Gregory Oake (afternoon) Rich in detail and warmth – but is it enough to fill an entire movie? Hitchcock famously said, “Some movies are slices of life, while mine are slices of cake.” every time He probably could have used more cake, and maybe some frosting and sprinkles, to the point where he teases the kind of conflict he never offers.

However, the film takes a truly unexpected turn during the third act, which is set in the same seaside resort on Tenerife that the family had visited on previous vacations. After their arrival, some of the things we witnessed – strange echoes between past and present, everyday reality and virtual reality (in the form of… Minecraftstyle game), home movies and contemporary events – it starts to make it, well, not exactly make sense, but at least to serve a purpose.

What this purpose is should not be spoiled for those who want to give every time an opportunity. Suffice it to say that Woolner’s minimalist drama offers a solution that seems too good to be true, as if the death that Ella, Millie, and Lux ​​face is so difficult for them to accept that they decide to do away with logic altogether. The closing scenes are staged with an alarming amount of aplomb, lending meaning and mystery to this historical story of a family so unable to cope with a devastating loss that they would rather believe the unbelievable.