Was du nicht siehst

Ludwig Trepte stars as Anton, a teenager who travels to a remote seaside village with his mother, and her new boyfriend. We find out later that his father committed suicide, though it is never explained why. In fact, very little is explained in this dreamlike and haunting film. Anton soon meets a very mysterious brother and sister, who are involved in an incestuous relationship. The three teens form a tenuous bond with each other, but the brother and sister sometimes seem to only want Anton around to manipulate and control him. Katja is a bit more sensitive, but David is an obvious sociopath with violent tendencies. And that is the setup for a film that is as quiet and slow moving as a summer holiday by the sea. The film has a similar style/feel to the films of French director Bruno Dumont; slow, languid tales of young people whose isolated surroundings seem to remove them from reality. The cinematography is absolutely beautiful, and Ludwig Trepte's performance is intense and believable. He is one of the most important young actors working in Germany these days. In fact he is the reason I sought this film out. Recommended for those with a taste for something other than Hollywood fare. and don't expect this tale to wrap up neatly either. In fact, "What You Don't See" features one of the most strange, and cryptic endings I have ever seen in a film.

Beautiful scenery and a fitting musical score accompany a weak and empty script. The film features good acting and attractive people. Set on the French Brittany coast, a mother;Luzia,her boyfriend Paul and her son Anton take a vacation to a cottage near the coast. Anton meets a very odd fellow David. This is where the story loses credibility. David is unpleasant and weird. He enjoys subjecting Anton to odd practical jokes, is violent and ominous. Anton nonetheless hangs around with David and his attractive sister Katja. The pace is incredibly slow. Dialogue is limited and weak. This is a empty script on a weak story dragged out for nearly two hours. Overall a dull story.

The pace is incredibly slow, in fact, but in this case this is an extremely good thing. The dialogue is limited, but very strong, and somehow cryptic, like the whole movie is. The film resists the constant pressure of "Hollywood cinema" and its commitment to a clear solution.

The focus of the story is the 17-year-old Anton who goes with his mother Lucy and her new boyfriend Paul to Brittany on holiday. After the suicide of his father some time ago, silent reproaches between mother and son have accumulated, and the unprocessed griefs prevent a new relationship between them.

In this situation he first met David and Katja and he is more and more fascinated by them with their aura of suppressed violence and sexuality. They seem to embody all his negative psychological parts that have been suppressed. Increasingly fascinated by both, Anton gets into a confusing maelstrom of events.

The movie is really really thrilling, though not much happens, at least not at first glance, but for me the film is really haunting. The only downside is that the characters and their relationships to each other remain visible as a construct. The result is that the characters seem artificial, and it remains difficult to identify with them.

Overall a pretty good movie, that is worth to see.