The story races across southeastern Europe, and it may be the most polished German movie I've seen since Tom Tykwer's masterful bubblegum. Julia Hummer's performance as the young girl grounds a serious, elliptical story, and the film's look, emulating the brilliant hyperrealism of the photographs and figurative paintings of artist Gerhard Richter, dazzles. More importantly, as a protege of Takeshi Kitano, Shinozaki understands a thing or two about bursts of the unexpected, and the ending of the movie is both shocking and grand. Its dry wit that suggests Terry Gilliam, Ingmar Bergman and Luis Bunuel having a big laugh over several pitchers of Bunuel's Virgin Martinis. I miss the Greek sunlight.
Movies are always better as part of a balanced diet.