The seemingly random interactions between a group of people touched by a tragedy go under the microscope in this drama from Austrian filmmaker Barbara Albert. Manu (Kathrin Resetarits) is a woman who miraculously survives an airline crash caused by a freak storm that claims the life of every other passenger on board. Six years later, she's happily married to Andreas (Georg Friedrich), has a teenaged daughter named Yvonne (Deborah Ten Brink), and works at a supermarket -- only to die suddenly in
an auto accident. Among the mourners at Manu's funeral are her brother Reini (Martin Brambach) and sister Gerlinde (Marion Mitterhammer). Schoolteacher Reini is infatuated with a troubled woman named Sandra (Bellinda Akwa-Asare), and is trying to reach out to one of his students, Kai (Dominik Hartel), who is haunted by the death of his mother. Andreas becomes involved with another teacher, Andrea (Ursula Strauss), who also has an unhappy student, Patricia (Désirée Ourada), an outcast with an interest in spirituality. Patricia strikes up a friendship with Kai as he drifts away from his girlfriend, Gabi (Nicole Skala). Meanwhile, Yvonne becomes ill and ponders her mother's fate in the hereafter, and Gerlinde becomes involved in an emotionally destructive sexual relationship with a handicapped man. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
I have seen Barbara Albert's Free Radicals three times now and could surely watch it 10 times more, finding something else on each visit to salve the soul.
Barbara Albert's contemptuous Free Radicals unravels like an Austrian Short Cuts, except there's no humanity buried beneath the life-is-bleak passages of the film.
This movie is boring, plotless,and very confusing to watch. A total waste of time i'd rather watch "Ishtar"
August 27, 2007
Donald Brandon
I don't understand how any critic could watch this and give it a fresh rating. The critics seem to agree that it is depressing but that would require me to have some feeling towards the characters. I rather watch free willy three times in a row than get through this one all the way.
No quotes approved yet for Free Radicals. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'Free Radicals'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
Top Critic
