Avis des critiques

It's a slow-burn musing talkfest that charms at times but I found it hard to get into partly because, whenever the actors were being warmly emotional in English – and it's important for the story that they do stick to English – they sound, to these English ears, unconvincing.

If many of the early scenes are simply staged and the dialogue not always convincing despite strong performances from both leads, the drama eventually comes to a head when Jo's mother (Corinna Kirchhoff) and grandfather (Bruno Ganz) stop by for a visit. It's then that the tragic memories of WWII rise to the surface, with the excellent Ganz (Wings of Desire) delivering a lengthy monologue underlining the reality that Martha has neglected for so many years.

The result is a leisurely paced, talky two-hander that always has its heart in the right place, even when its dramatic engines aren't running at full blast.