Her face is enthroned over the camera, immersed in dim, red light. It is the teenager Marielle who looks down like a sphinx, on us or on her two parents. The picture repeatedly interrupts the hustle and bustle in the black comedy what Marielle knows from the author and director Frédéric Hambalek, who runs in the 75th Berlinale in the competition for the golden bear.
At the present press screening, the biting view of bourgeois educational ideals shook the assembled criticism. And with some networking event in the area of the festival, a swipper is probably at least at this moment to produce producer about an English-language remake. The concept of what Marielle knows is so clever and universally understandable.
In what Marielle Weiß does a daughter see everything the parents do
The basic idea could come from Ruben Östlund, although the execution with the director of Triangle of Sadness and The Square would probably have looked a bit of neat. After a slap in the face by her (formerly) best friend, Marielle (Laeni Geiseler) can see and hear what her parents are doing, no matter how far away they are.
Mutti Julia (Julia Jentsch) flirts with her colleague during a smoking break? Marielle knows. Papa Tobias (Felix Kramer) is humiliated at a meeting in his publisher in front of the assembled team and pretends at home as if he had prevailed? Here too, Marielle knows the truth. When the girl confronts the parents with their new “empathy”, the house blessing slips into trouble. The minimalist -furnished home, which, like the Monolith from 2001: Odyssey, looks at the neighborhood in space, turns out to be a lying building.
The parents do not want to believe it at first, but quickly develop their own strategies to cope with the unusual talent of their daughter. That sounds harmless when both speak French in the common crisis meeting to trick their all -seeing daughter. However, the manipulative and hypocritical side of the two legal guardians quickly becomes noticeable. They break their heads about what Marielle knows and only lose a few thoughts about what Marielle think. How does the girl actually process that her parents – to express it eloquently – completely tick off?
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At first Julia and Tobias still perform for their daughter so as not to stand in the wrong light. However, the good intentions do not last long. Papa uses Marielle as a surveillance medium. In contrast, Mama needs her to light up dissatisfaction and longings that she would otherwise not say in her husband. Marial growth of knowledge drives drastic flowers that would not be expected of any child outside a satire or a horror film. The laughter almost gets stuck in the throat.
As hard as the parents jump around with Marielle and so repulsive is their self -centerism that the bourgeois satire is one Welcome change to the public-effective ensemble comedies offers, which otherwise sneak around on the subject area with a fairly incorrectly incorrectly incorrectly incorrectly incorrect wit. Think of the pricked star faces from the first name and its sequels as well as of course the perfect secret. Not that Julia Jentsch would not be a well -known film actress, but her figure would be the pure hate object in a worse film and in the hands of a less capable actress.
On the other hand, the Berlinale film lacks the last consequence of a Ruben eastlund. The Swedish director also makes himself a pleasure to push his educational citizens into uncomfortable positions and to watch how they wind – preferably to the credits. In contrast, in the script by Was Marielle Weiß is sought for a way to reconciliation. But since the actually central figure, namely Marielle, is neglected over long distances, the efforts look a bit unbelievable. Almost like when mom assures the colleague that she certainly doesn’t smoke. Marielle knows the truth and we too.
What Marielle Weiß was shown in the Berlinale competition. The film will come to German cinemas on April 17, 2025.