In the aftermath of WWII, German-Jewish cabaret singer Nelly has to undergo facial reconstructive surgery following her survival from Auschwitz. Without recognising Nelly, her former husband Johnny asks her to help him claim his wife’s inheritance. To see if he's betrayed her, she agrees, becoming her own doppelgänger.
Petzold tells his story in calm, cool images of ruined Berlin shortly after the war. The film moves slowly and precisely, with a touch of film noir, and rests on Nina Hoss, whose face and bearing carry almost everything. The final scene lingers, partly because the film explains so little.
Good for you if you like quiet, closely observed dramas about guilt and memory in postwar Germany.
Written with AI, based on TMDb data.