Soundless
A sleek thriller,Soundlesstakes a typically preposterous super-hit-man and treats his character and methods with enough realism to generate unexpected empathy and tension. Viktor (Joachim Krol,The Princess and the Warrior) specializes in complicated hits requiring scrupulous preparation and absolute stealth. An unhappy blonde woman named Nina (Nadja Uhl,What to Do in Case of Fire) ends up at the site of a kill by chance, but he lets her live--and finds himself following her and saving her from an attempted suicide. Meanwhile, a perfectionist cop (Christian Berkel,Downfall) is slowly closing in on Viktor. These elements sound generic, and they are. What makesSoundlesscompelling is the movie's low-key, streamlined style, which draws in the viewer to both the thrills and the unusual romance between Viktor and Nina. It's a movie that seems to cry out for a remake with Bruce Willis...only Hollywood would undoubtedly overdo everything that makesSoundlessso alluring. (Soundlesswas produced by the X Filme Creative Pool, a collective that's also responsible forRun Lola RunandGoodbye Lenin!--clearly, an eclectic and ingenious bunch.)--Bret Fetzer