Barbara (2012)
Another look by Petzold into Germany’s past, with a story of desperation and personal sacrifice set in East Germany in the 1980s. Tension and drama is very slow to form and build up, which demands a lot from the actors to make it captivating. I have liked the combination of Hoss and Petzold before, and it is hard to pinpoint where it doesn’t work, but while I liked the general texture of the 1980s setting and the hospital environment, Hoss was simply too anonymous and restrained here. Her general almost tight situation and frustration is clear enough, but none of the emotions gets through the screen and I was left with mostly an outline for a captivating story.
Rating: 2.5