Film: The Door
Release date: 18th April 2011
Certificate: 15
Running time: 99 mins
Director: Anno Saul
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Jessica Schwarz, Heike Makatsch, Nele Trebs, Rüdiger Kühmstedt
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Mystery/Thriller
Studio: Optimum
Format: DVD
Country: Germany
Given the opportunity, would you really want to change the mistakes of your past? Anno Saul's dark fantasy-thriller The Door won itself the Aurora award at the 20th Tromso International Film Festival, whilst asking this very question. However, its critical reception has been somewhat mixed; the likes of Variety, disappointed with Saul's offering, have endorsed an “English-lingo remake.”
David Andernach (Mads Mikkelsen) is a successful artist who seems to have it all; a beautiful wife, a cute young daughter and a lavish house. Then, one summer’s day, all this is snatched away when he chooses to pay a visit to his mistress instead of looking after his daughter, Leonie (Valeria Eisenbart), who trips whilst playing in the garden and drowns in the family pool.
Fast-forward five years and David has lost his wife, Maja (Jessica Schwarz), and is wracked with guilt. However, following a botched suicide attempt, David finds himself presented with an opportunity to alter his past. Happening upon a hidden door, David is transported back five years, to within moments of his daughter's death. Confused, he dashes to his house, throws himself into the pool and saves his daughter. Inevitably, this comes at the cost of his former-self who, upon returning from his rendezvous with his mistress, is quickly disposed of.
With the benefit of hindsight, David uses this second chance to alter his ways and become the husband and father his family deserve. Although, it quickly becomes evident that there may be hidden consequences for his actions and this new world may not be all it seems …
Surprisingly, The Door doesn't dwell on the technical aspects of time travel. In fact, the film exists in a world which is seemingly unfazed by concepts such as time-paradox. Instead, The Door chooses to use the concept of time travel in a metaphorical sense, finding itself much more concerned with the evolution of the human character than the technicalities of time travel. In this respect, the film can be said to be a resounding success and a much welcomed break from most films of its genre. Far from being a clone of other time travel films, The Door asks some interesting questions: does the benefit of hindsight really make us any better than our past selves? And given the opportunity, would you really want to right the wrongs of your past?
First and foremost, it is The Door's talented cast that hold the film together and make it such a success. Mads Mikkelsen offers an astonishing performance as David, a man wracked with guilt, desperate to correct the mistakes of his past. The reason for his commendable performance lies not with his ability to deliver lines of dialogue (which are few and far between) but with his ability to convey the unimaginable emotions David feels when faced with the family he had once lost. Mads conveys David's yearning for his wife, whose trust he must regain following a string of affairs, in the most convincing and moving of ways. One example of this is a scene in which David watches his wife as she enters the kitchen, as if he were seeing her for the first time. He clearly longs to hold his wife and tell her he's a changed man but knows he much refrain from doing so. Mads conveys this beautifully without speaking a single line of dialogue; his body language speaks volumes for the pain he feels.
Similarly, Jessica Schwarz and Valeria Eisenbart give two very strong performances. Jessica plays the role of David's wife, who has been driven to distrust her husband following his numerous affairs. Like Mads, her emotions are expressed without much need for dialogue and both performances complement one another perfectly.
Valeria also offers a wonderful performance as David's young daughter, who immediately notices a change in her father. This aspect of the film is particularly impressive, for both Valeria's performance and the way in which the father-daughter relationship is subtly handled. Leonie's reaction to the revelation that her father has been replaced by another man is particularly commendable and is just one of the reasons why, despite its implausible plot, the film feels so convincing. In fact, it would be fair to assume that the film would have been a huge disappointment, if it were not for its talented cast. The quality of the film's performances allow one to suspend disbelief in its time travel plot and engage with its characters on a deeper level.
Aside from its intriguing themes, the film looks and sounds rather beautiful. With its sleek cinematography, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a high-budget Hollywood production. Furthermore, the film sounds wonderful, thanks to Fabian Romer’s dramatic score. All of this has a profound effect on the overall feel of the film and compliments the film's third act, which offers far more in the way of suspense as several plot twists unfold.
Anno Saul's The Door excels as a metaphor for one's desire to change the past. Its wonderful performances, dramatic musical score, beautiful cinematography and intriguing script make it an enjoyable, and somewhat thought provoking, watch. The film's many memorable performances lie at the heart of its success but, thanks to its unpredictable plot, The Door also works as an impressive fantasy-thriller. Its presentation of time travel may be implausible but, fortunately, this doesn’t detract from the overall experience. The Door is certainly a memorable, not to mention thoroughly entertaining piece of German cinema. ME
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