A middle-aged woman coming to terms with her son's sexual awakening does some extramarital exploration of her own in this downbeat drama. Miriam (Martina Gedeck) has just turned forty and is going on a seaside vacation with her husband Andre (Peter Davor) and fifteen-year-old son Nils (Lucas Kotaranin). Andre has given Niels permission to bring his girlfriend Livia (Svea Lohde) along for the trip; while Livia is soon to turn thirteen, she looks and acts several years older, and Miriam wonders if
Andre has unwittingly given them carte blanche to take their relationship to the physical level, though Andre seems unconcerned. While sailing, the vacationers meet Bill (Robert Seeliger), a footloose American of German heritage who seems quite taken with Livia, and vice versa. While Miriam is quite appalled by Bill's flirtation with an underage girl, the longer she thinks about him the more she's drawn to him, and when she decides to confront Bill about what may be going on with Livia, they end up having sex. However, while Bill insists he's not interested in Livia physically, Miriam soon discovers her son's girlfriend is also a rival for her lover's affections. The second feature from director Stefan Krohmer, Summer '04 (aka Sommer '04) received its North American premier at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Congrats to director Stefan Krohmer for exploring a shocking taboo without allowing the tawdry tale to dissolve into a predictable morality play about cradle-robbing.
More in the nature of audience eavesdropping on some scandalous neighbors than gripping or meaningful storytelling, the film is wracked with superficial, amoral characters and petty, hand wringing sordid emotional preoccupations and obsessions.
More in the nature of audience eavesdropping on some scandalous neighbors than gripping or meaningful storytelling, the film is wracked with superficial, amoral characters and petty, hand wringing sordid emotional preoccupations and obsessions.
If Krohmer and Knocke meticulously crafted the world Miriam inhabits, it is Gedeck's presence that makes it such a tangible mess -- which is meant as high praise indeed.
Alternating between polite probing and adolescent fidgeting once lust takes over, [actor Gedeck's] turn props up this intellectual potboiler even when it stumbles and falls.
The film unfolds with cold, Chabrolian detachment and quietly builds to a coolly satisfying denouement that leaves everyone involved -- including the audience -- second-guessing everything that's come before.
As twisted and steamy a psychological thriller as you could hope to find, provided you're not put off by the pedophilia coursing through this intriguing romantic roundelay.
"Sommer '04 an der Schlei" is pretty much a vehicle to showcase a lot more of German actress Martina Gedeck than you'd normally see. It has at least three close-up sex scenes which are pretty much the only reason why most people want to watch it in the first place.However, if you get past that aspect of it (and it's
really hard to since Martina Gedeck is gorgeous for an over 40 year old woman), the movie is a lot like the French "slice of life" genre (if there is such a thing) mixed with a bit of Mike Leigh. It's a drama without a real beginning or end but with a lot of characterisation and interplay between the characters.If you watch the trailer for "Summer 'O4", you'd be forgiven for thinking this was some kind of story about paedophilia. Although there is more than a suspicion of that in the plot, it's a lot more about love and relationships breaking down. If you are expecting another "Lolita" this isn't it at all.I really don't know how I feel about this movie. On the one hand, I really liked Martina Gedeck and thought that Robert Seeliger was excellent in his role too but, on the other, I didn't like Svea Lohde (who played Livia) or Lucas Kotaranin (her 15 year old boyfriend Nils). The teenagers really were just ciphers to the main story of Miriam and Bill's more than telegraphed affair and they didn't really act so much as just exist in the film to create a few red herrings."Summer '04" is just one of those films that is really well done but leaves you with more questions than answers probably due to the script and incongruous ending. In words of less syllables, it just makes you wonder, "What the hell did I just watch? And why?"It's all shot beautifully though and makes you think that it really is Summer on the River Schlei (to quote the German title). The features on the DVD reveal that the title was originally "Sommer '01" and it was filmed during bad weather in 2006 but I don't think the date has any significance whatsoever.It's a strange film, easy to follow but ultimately pointless. I'd give it 4 out of 10 since it intrigued me a lot more than it eventually delivered. Plus I could watch Martina Gedeck all day.
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