Der Boden unter den Füßen

Gifted Austrian Writer/director Marie Kreutzer's coolly austere, immaculately shot 'The Ground Beneath my Feet' aka 'Der Boden unter den Füssen' is a starkly realised, earnestly acted, psychologically dense drama about single-minded, high-flying young business executive Lola Wegenstein (Valarie Pachner), and her older, mentally ill sister Conny (Pia Hierziger), long estranged from one another, Conny's attempted overdose of medication somewhat cruelly reunites them both, and the focused, work-orientated Lola soon becomes profoundly unsettled by her disturbed sibling's continued frantic, inchoate ranting, and as Conny is being treated in a psychiatric unit far from Lola's place of work, the once implacable Lola experiences increasing pressures balancing a demanding, high-pressure job, a passionate relationship with the strikingly beautiful Elise (Mavie Hörbiger), her boss, and weighty concerns for Conny's welfare begins to compound Lola's ever more precarious grip on reality. Director Kreutzer's handsome-looking, richly fascinating film has all the immersive intrigue of a meticulously wrought thriller with the additional ballast of an emotionally edifying drama, the performances are uniformly excellent, with especially forceful work from powerhouse Valarie Pachner, the refined photography is sublime, the frequently muted, glacial colour palate adding an oppressively grim verisimilitude to Lola's unhappy descent in her own rapidly debilitating depression, wherein work, love, and familial bonds start to deleteriously unravel into cognitive chaos. While 'The Ground Beneath my Feet' has an aesthetically cool veneer, it is far a from remote experience, being a nuanced, emotionally intelligent drama that deals explicitly with the devastating effects of mental illness in a bold, and wholly sympathetic manner.

If you like female nudity, lesbian sex scenes and high heels then this film is for you. If you want a clear narrative and satisfying ending then perhaps not. Early on I suspected I was watching a Hitchcock influenced tale and the set up suggested there was a mystery to be solved. I was wrong. Overall I enjoyed this film, thought it was well shot in a Michael Haneke sort of way and the acting was compelling. I just felt the narrative lacked focus (is it a thriller, is it a lesbian love story, is it a critique of corporate life, is it a comment on mental health issues?) and the ending felt somewhat flat.

This is a gripping, tough movie about the bond between two sisters, focused on the the younger of the two, a hard working business consultant, and how the reality around her erodes as her older sister is treated for mental illness. Valerie Pachner's performance is restrained and subtle. The cinematography is superb, bringing your the cold surfaces of chrome-blue hallways and white institutional walls that contrast with the turmoil that grows within the main character's increasingly tortured psyche. A beautiful, rich film.

The German film Der Boden unter den Füssen was shown in the U.S. with the translated title The Ground Beneath My Feet (2019). The movie was written and directed by Marie Kreutzer.

Valerie Pachner plays Lola Wegenstein, a successful businesswoman. Her boss is Elise, portrayed by Mavie Hörbiger. Elise is also Lola's lover.

Pia Hierzegger plays Conny Wegenstein, Lola's sister, who has schizophrenia. Matters reach a crisis when Lola is at the final stages of an important business deal, and Conny makes what may have been a suicide attempt.

The world of high finance is unknown to me. Others will have to tell you how well it's portrayed in the movie. It looks horrible. For example, in her sleep, Lola is talking about "48's." We learn that this means going two days without sleep to work on business.

Although this film contains lesbian lovers, it's really not a lesbian film. In my opinion, it's about a high-level business executive and her sister who suffers from mental illness. The fact that Lola is in a lesbian relationship is important, but not central, to the plot.

All three lead actors are excellent, but I'll single out Pia Hierzegger, as Lola's sister, for special praise. It's a difficult, demanding role, and Hierzegger manages it to perfection.

We saw this film at The Little Theatre, as part of Rochester's wonderful ImageOut Festival. If you can't find it at a festival, it will work on the small screen.

This movie has a terrible IMDb rating of 6.3. I think that it's much better than that, and I feel comfortable recommending it.

The film was trying to criticize the stressful worklife in Germany, same theme as Toni Erdman" movie. I have it 7, because the film is still watchable.