Wo die Erde bebt

Another title in the never-ending churn of book to film adaptations from the Netflix studios, this is a fine performance from Alicia Vikander who is captivating throughout as an emotionally vulnerable Swede living in Japan, with a decent supporting cast.

The film promotes the Japanese setting well including a good showcase of culture, attitudes and landscape but the film has pacing issues which aren't helped by the random mixture of flashback and psychosis nor the unsatisfying ending.

A decent watch, but fails to deliver any real impact.

Yes, it's a slow movie - so be prepared. However it kept me captivated until the very end and never felt boring or dry.

Alicia Vikander's performance of a guilt-ridden protagonist is outstanding. The cinematography is great, the soundtrack haunting, the setting in Japan just beautiful.

The end could've been a little bit more creative/original especially with how the narrative was building up beforehand and questioning reality, but I nevertheless didn't see it coming in the particular way.

I can't understand anyone who gives this movie a rating below 7, and I couldn't even give the worst movies I watched 1 star. However, I also wouldn't say it's the "best movie" on Netflix or give it a 10. I'm sorry, but only Joker/Interstellar and Blade Runner deserve a 10 from my side. Definitely recommend giving it a shot if you are into plots that are driven by character development.

Set in Tokyo, a surprisingly Japanese speaking Alicia Vikander, Lucy, is interrogated by police over the disappearance, and suspected murder, of fellow expat Lily. Tension grows throughout the film as Lucy grows increasingly jealous and paranoid of Lily, who slowly gets close to her mysterious photographer boyfriend Teiji.

Whilst the pace of the film is slow, Alicia Vikander is phenomenal as Lily, holding you at the edge of your seat as her mental state slowly crumbles. Time is taken to dwell on Lucy's expressions, her feelings, her psyche. Her eyes slowly welling up in one scene is magical.

The setting is a character in its own right, framed magnificently in a number of scenes- the grandeur of the mountains, the composition of the secret woodland temple, the liveliness of the festival... compared to the greys of Teiji's studio and Lucy's apartment near the end.

There is a quietness to the movie which I actually really like and unfortunately felt that the ending/resolve, which was rather abrupt did not feel right with the rest of the movie and was too convenient and expected.

Nonetheless, I found there was a lot to love about the movie that despite its pace, kept my attention throughout; with an emotional and reflective performance from Vikander, and was a much needed "quieter" film amongst all the noise of the world.

Solid movie, keeps you engaged and decent twists through to the end. The Japanese setting and cultural exploration adds an interesting element, and great acting by Vikander (if she didn't learn Japanese, her acting sure was convincing). While the story does sag in a few places, I was never bored. Not an award winning movie, but a very solid watch.

A solid but ultimately stolid mystery, super competent and quite engaging but with no flair and a lacklustre ending. Seen it all before, albeit in a different setting. #LFF