Arthur & Claire

Two souls with a common purpose clash. Shot mainly in Amsterdam the story has a nice backdrop to the serious subject matter. The story of each character is revealed bit by bit until the viewer has an understanding of the motives of each. The actors do their bit - both believable, never shallow or crass and giving the theme of the film the thoughtfulness and respect it deserves. Humour and pathos delivered well.

No I'm not talking about the viewer and what he or she may think while watching the movie. I actually thought this was pretty good. If you read the basic outline to this, you know what I'm actually talking about. If not, let the movie give you the answer.

A movie that has two powerhouse performances, two characters who seem diametrical different, but still seem to have one thing in common. Even if they can't see it. Since this is a drama there will be a lot of scenes that will make you feel uncomfortable. The movie while also quite funny at times, has a serious issue at its core. So walking that line is not an easy task. But the movie succeeds in doing exactly that.

And so is Arthur & Claire, about death & life, about what makes life what it is, about guilt, solace, relations, emotions.

Based on a theatre play, Arthur & Claire is set in Amsterdam. An Austrian egocentric and grumpy square meets an emotional and open young Dutch woman; both share irony and the same idea: to terminate one's life.

And they are quite different at the same time. The rest and how the story progresses, that you have to see for yourself.

It's in German, Dutch, English. Hoekstra's German might be better to grasp than the Viennois of Hader's. Both play their parts well, with Hader being the favourite of mine. This 'Grantler' role, similar to his 'Indien', fits him well. The Amsterdam locations seemed alive and shot from real life, they contribute to a fine film with dry humour within the dialogues. 8-9 stars.