Strangely moving

Rating: 8/10 (4 September 2010)

On the face of it, the underlying narrative for this film does not suggest much. It's a foreign language film that's made it to the mainstream. This is to do it a great disservice. Wonderfully shot so that you know precisely when the action is 'fictional' and when 'real' it is a tour de force in film technique. But technique never detracts from the action. We know precisely why our main man can't get over his infatuation; we empathise with the drunk - knowing all the while that he is a feeling man - peculiarly aware of the truth behind the crime stories that pass over his desk and through his office. He drinks in a realistic, not a stereotypical way. There are twists and turns aplenty and plenty to make you think. Ah, lovely. Real entertainment.