In The Fade
This German feature tells a powerful story about a grieving mother striving to find justice. In a way, this release fits nicely with Teresa Palmer’s wiles in Berlin Syndrome'and Matilda Lutz’s warrior in Revenge. Now, it's Diane Kruger's turn to prove that woman deserve strong leading roles.
Katja Sekerci (Kruger) keeps the books for her Kurdish husband's tax office business. She and Nuri (Numan Acar) have a little boy called Rocco, but one normal day as Katja leaves the office and heads out with a friend it ends in tragedy. She learns that a bomb was set off and her husband and son have been killed.
Director and writer Faith Akin tells this film through three chapters. Each one comes with visual storytelling that helps track with the growing fire within Katja. The first chapter focuses on family which is grey and backed by a permanent rainstorm which definitely works in making her mourning that touch more depressing. As the story goes into the second chapter we're presented with a tiled, gleaming white courtroom. The drama which unfolds in this location is elevated by the clinical, almost showroom aspect of the court. Then as Katja takes action into her own hands, we're by the sea and a burning sun helps her glow; an unstoppable need is within her now.
I feel the film is let down by this last act - there's less tension and the end result is a soap drama blow-out that didn't shock like it had the right to. I like a good courtroom scene and this movie has a neat back and forth of defence and prosecution that is scripted well with detailed descriptions of injuries sustained by the blast that are tough to hear but ensure you want severe justice to rain down on the accused.
The most impressive quality of the film is Diane Kruger by a long shot. There's a force shimmering behind her eyes that shakes just like her body does upon hearing the news for the first time. She's phenomenal throughout, with a broken spirit that steals the show. She retains a believable vulnerability but after a rising like a bloody phoenix, Kruger gives Katja a solid punch of revenge tactics.
In the Fade does unfortunately tread down some cliched paths of revenge movies but aside from a weak third chapter, this is a gripping thriller with a deep well of emotion and a punishing turn for Kruger, which she handles with aplomb.
7.5/10
