nascentt Reviews

Night Has Come (2023– )

Interesting premise, but convoluted and messy

[4/10 · 7 May 2024]

"Night Has Come" begins with a promising premise, drawing viewers into an escape-room style reminiscent of films like Saw. The drama initially captivates with its mysterious atmosphere and the intriguing concept of a game that becomes all too real, echoing the life-and-death stakes of "Battle Royale."

However, as the narrative unfolds, the plot becomes increasingly boring as the show stays on the bickering and deception of the Mafia game. But then suddenly gets increasingly convoluted as they try to introduce the missing pieces of the story. The drama attempts to weave together various concepts and ideas all heavily influenced by existing movies and TV shows from The Matrix, to eXistenZ, Last House On The Left and even Black Mirror, but struggles to maintain a coherent storyline or achieve anything particularly new over those existing stories. The mystery that initially adds to the allure soon turns into a labyrinth of convoluted reveals that just lead to a mess.

Also the plot doesn't make sense, the people playing mafia are never aware of the real reason they are there, so the overarching reason for them playing doesn't make sense.

Goodbye Earth (2024)

Hugely disappointing

[3/10 · 29 April 2024]

Goodbye Earth starts with an exciting idea: an asteroid hurtling towards Earth and how people deal with the situation. But as the show goes on, it doesn't really keep you on the edge of your seat. The story drags and the characters, who should be interesting, just don't grab you. They spent a lot on making it look good, but the slow pace and the way the characters' stories are told make it hard to stay interested. It's not worth watching.

It's not the worst, but it could've been a lot more interesting.

I read the main actor was arrested and that was a big part of why the drama fell apart. But honestly even before that it was dull.

City Hunter (2018)

"City Hunter: A Mismatched Homage to a Cult Classic

[4/10 · 28 April 2024]

Understood. Here's a more critical review of the "City Hunter" (2018) movie:

---

The 2018 adaptation of "City Hunter" is a film that, despite its best efforts, fails to capture the true essence of the original series. The movie's attempt to pay tribute to the manga and anime is evident in its **overt visual references** and inclusion of the **original music**, but these elements feel more like a superficial checklist than a seamless integration into the narrative.

The action sequences, while decent, are not enough to carry the film. They are overshadowed by a tone that is excessively crude and a humor that is more cheesy than charming. The film's reliance on these aspects detracts from the potential depth and intrigue that "City Hunter" could offer, reducing it to a series of gags and clichés.

Moreover, the film's adherence to the original soundtrack and visual cues does little to compensate for its lack of substance. It's as if the movie is constantly reminding viewers of its source material, yet never quite living up to it. This creates a disjointed experience that leaves fans of the series wanting more and newcomers confused about the appeal of "City Hunter."

In conclusion, "City Hunter" (2018) is a movie that struggles to find its identity. It's caught between being a faithful adaptation and a standalone film, ultimately satisfying neither. For a franchise that has such a rich history and dedicated fanbase, this movie feels like a missed opportunity to truly revitalize "City Hunter" for a new generation.

City Hunter (2024)

The perfect adaptation

[9/10 · 25 April 2024]

The 2024 Japanese live-action City Hunter movie is a triumph, setting a new standard for adapting beloved franchises. Masterfully balancing comedy, heart-pounding action, and nuanced character development, it captures the essence of the original manga and anime while feeling fresh and modern. The lead actors embody Ryo and Kaori with uncanny precision, their chemistry electric. Stunning cinematography and inventive direction elevate even the most outlandish scenes. In comparison, the 1993 Jackie Chan film feels like a pale imitation. This City Hunter adaptation is an absolute must-see, a love letter to fans that will also win over newcomers. It's the gold standard for bringing treasured stories to life on the big screen.

City Hunter (1993)

A worse City Hunter movie than Police Story

[4/10 · 25 April 2024]

City Hunter (1993) is an over-the-top action comedy that unfortunately fails to replicate the Jackie Chan's classic Police Story which inspired the City Hunter manga. While Chan's trademark stunts and martial arts are on full display, the movie leans too heavily into ridiculous slapstick humor that often falls flat.

The thin plot revolves around Chan as a private detective hired to track down a runaway heiress on a luxury cruise ship. This flimsy setup is really just an excuse for a series of absurd fight scenes and juvenile gags involving cross-dressing, bodily functions, and lecherous behavior played for laughs.

In contrast, Police Story (1985) struck a better balance of impressive action choreography and situational comedy that felt more grounded. City Hunter aims for pure farce, with Chan mugging shamelessly for the camera as he pratfalls his way from one silly set piece to the next.

Some of the comedy is still amusing thanks to Chan's undeniable charisma and physical dexterity. A highlight is a dancelike choreographed fight scene with Saeko where Chan holds and twirls her as they fire at enemies. But the overall tone is just too cartoonish and dumb, lacking the relatively more serious cop drama elements that gave the Police Story films more heft.

As a lightweight Jackie Chan vehicle, City Hunter is passable entertainment for fans of the action-comedy icon. But as both an action film and a comedy, it pales in comparison to superior efforts like the Police Story series. The over-reliance on outrageous slapstick silliness wears thin quickly, making this a lesser entry in Chan's filmography.

Supercop (1992)

Army Story

[6/10 · 26 March 2024]

Police Story 3: Supercop marks a significant shift in the iconic series, trading the whimsical charm of Jackie Chan's earlier films for a more militaristic tone. While the movie boasts some impressive action sequences, especially in the climactic finale, it diverges from the playful spirit that characterized its predecessors. Chan's Ka-Kui is now part of a larger operation, teaming up with Michelle Yeoh's formidable Inspector Yang to take down a drug lord-a narrative choice that leans more towards an 'army story' than the police-centric tales we've come to expect.

The film's action choreography remains top-notch, with Chan and Yeoh delivering breathtaking stunts that showcase their physical prowess. However, the absence of Chan's directorial touch is palpable; the balance between action and humor that he so masterfully maintained is now skewed. The result is a movie that, while entertaining in its set pieces, feels disconnected from the series' roots. It's a spectacle of stunts and combat, but the heart and humor that once gave the franchise its unique identity seem to have been left behind in favor of a more straightforward action approach.

The Lighthouse (I) (2019)

Dimming the beacon: The Lighthouse review

[6/10 · 25 March 2024]

The Lighthouse (2019) strikes one as a cinematic experiment reminiscent of a student project rather than a polished professional production. The film's attempt to diverge from its predecessor by altering the ending does little to elevate the narrative, leaving the overall ambiance strikingly similar to the original. This lack of innovation in storytelling is further compounded by the film's visual presentation. The choice to cast the movie in stark black and white, coupled with the constrained 4:3 aspect ratio, ostensibly serves as an artistic nod to a bygone era. However, it inadvertently comes across as a ploy to mask the film's modest budget-a stark contrast to the original, which embraced its financial limitations without resorting to such conspicuous stylistic choices.

The austere visual approach, while potentially aiming for a certain atmospheric depth, instead feels like a superficial layer that fails to add meaningful texture to the film's world. This is not to say that the monochromatic scheme and aspect ratio cannot be used effectively; however, in this instance, they seem to be employed more as a distraction than an enhancement.

Amidst these shortcomings, Willem Dafoe's performance stands out as a commendable effort. His portrayal is imbued with a level of gravitas and intensity that one would expect from an actor of his caliber. Nonetheless, even Dafoe's skillful execution cannot carry the film beyond its foundational flaws. His character's arc, though potentially intriguing, is not enough to anchor the film's ambitious but ultimately unfulfilled aspirations.

In essence, 'The Lighthouse' remake, despite its valiant attempt, does not manage to justify its creation. It serves as a testament to the idea that not all stories necessitate retelling, particularly when the new interpretation fails to cast a fresh perspective on the source material. The film's overreliance on stylistic elements at the expense of substantive narrative development leaves one pondering the missed opportunities for a truly innovative reimagining of the original tale.

Broker (2022)

How Broker Shows the Moral Dilemmas and Emotional Struggles of People Involved in Illegal Infant Adoption

[7/10 · 3 March 2024]

Broker is a movie that tells the story of people connected by a baby box, a place where unwanted infants can be left anonymously. The movie follows Sang-hyeon, a laundry owner who steals babies from the baby box and sells them to prospective parents, and So-young, a young mother who regrets abandoning her son and joins Sang-hyeon's journey to find him a new home. Along the way, they face various challenges and conflicts, as well as unexpected moments of humor and warmth. The movie also shows the perspectives of the police detectives who are chasing them, the adoptive parents who are looking for their child, and the mysterious figure who is behind the baby box scheme. The movie is directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, a renowned Japanese director who makes his first Korean film. The movie features a cast of actors, including Song Kang-ho and Gang Dong-won, who give realistic and subtle performances as the complex and conflicted protagonists. The movie is an interesting and touching exploration of the themes of motherhood, redemption, and trust, and it is a good movie to watch.

Distance (2001)

Dissapointing

[3/10 · 3 March 2024]

Extremely shaky camera, hard to watch Excruciatingly slow. One sentence of dialogue every ten seconds.

After an hour I ended up switching to double playback speed and even then it felt slow so I bumped it up to 2.5 speed 20 minutes later. This movie was slow due to bad pacing as there was no atmosphere or visual storytelling to compliment it. And I say that as someone that watches a lot of slow paced atmospheric arthouse.

Production quality is that of a movie ten years prior. Wouldn't think this was made in the 21st century. Feels more like a student project.

It's also interesting to me that one of the lead actors in this is also from blind swordsman and, survive style 5+ and itchi the killer. All filmed in the same time period but leagues more interesting and higher quality.

The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003)

Unexpectedly Authentic: A 21st Century Samurai Gem

[8/10 · 2 March 2024]

When I sat down to watch this samurai movie, my expectations were modest. Yet, from the opening scene, I was transported to a bygone era. The filmmakers meticulously captured the essence of classic samurai cinema-the deliberate pacing, the striking visuals, and the unwavering commitment to authenticity.

The characters, each with their own intriguing backstory, came alive on screen. Their interactions were like brushstrokes in a masterful painting. While the plot lacked intricate layers, it flowed smoothly, keeping me engaged throughout.

True, it didn't resonate with me as deeply as the timeless classics, but that's okay. This film carved its own path, paying homage to tradition while embracing modern sensibilities. Kudos to the team for their dedication to authenticity-it made all the difference.

Mother (2009)

A brilliant Hitchcockian thriller

[8/10 · 23 January 2024]

I saw Madeo many years ago and thought it was brilliant, but recently I rewatched it and was surprised in how Hitchcockian it was.

A myater thriller from the point of view of an elderly mother is a fascinating concept, especially as the only person actually investigating the mystery.

The story is straightforward and the characters seem shallow on the surface. But as you follow the mother character around trying to solve the mystery, the depth slowly slips out.

My one critique is whether the movie should have ended with the dancing scene in the field, as the movie started. If she used the acupuncture needle at that stage I feel it would've achieved everything the ending did, without the repetition, and would've kept the ambiguity. However the movie being an extra 15 minutes to do the same thing again doesn't detract from the movie's punch.

Doona! (2023– )

Shallow, forgettable

[4/10 · 3 November 2023]

I've been watching kdramas for about 10 years now, and I've lost count how many I've seen but it must be close to 300 by now. Doona was the first - to quote another reviewer - that felt like an American drama where everyone speaks Korean.

Doona is absolutely dripping with melodrama and moody close up shots of smoking or crying, but not much else. I keep reading people call this kdrama deep, but having little dialogue and staring forward for minutes at a time smoking isn't depth, it's tension, it's melodrama, it's atmosphere. People don't seem to understand what depth is if they are calling Doona deep. There's no character arc, no plot, the side characters are discarded like unwanted Christmas presents. The relationship between the protagonist and a stray cat showed more feeling than the main love interest. If you want a romance with depth watch My Mister.

Bloodhounds (2023– )

The best kdrama?

[10/10 · 12 June 2023]

I've been watching kdramas daily for ten years now and there are some incredible kdramas which typically fall apart at the end, or sometimes in the middle. But Bloodhounds is consistently thrilling and gripping throughout. With a simple premise but incredible characters, direction, good action, exciting performances all round, Bloodhounds has everything you could want from an action thriller.

Following two boxers as they form a strong friendship whilst they overcome their struggles against an evil loan shark and his gang. Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-Yi carry this kdrama on their strong backs as they team up to overthrow the villainous loan sharks and get vengeance.

My Sassy Girl (2001)

A great and very Korean romantic comedy,

[7/10 · 21 May 2023]

Watched My Sassy girl as a big fan of Korean cinema and kdramas. Instantly recognised the lead actors as they're prolific actors in kdramas.

My Sassy girl has a pretty unique premise, and has very Korean humour. I do love how the film borders the bizarre and extreme, but also doesn't overdo the romantic side despite primarily being a romantic movie.

That being said there 2 things than Korean media typically does which I find especially frustrating in this movie. One is grotesque humour - don't watch this whilst eating. Two is the "x years later" trope. I find it very lazy writing, and unfortunately Korean movies and dramas do it A LOT. It also happens in My Sassy Girl, and it really feels like the movie unravels when it happens, I felt this was a 9/10 movie until the "x months/years later" crutch starts happening and the movie immediately ceased to be engaging to me.

Despite these shortcomings, the movie is definitely worth a watch.

Hellbound (2021– )

An interesting first part of a series exploring society in a doomsday scenario

[7/10 · 25 October 2022]

Rather than a sci-fi monster movie, Hellbound is more a disaster movie focussing on society and how individuals and groups manipulate society exploiting the tools available to them. In a way similar to Stephen King's Mist.

Hellbound approaches this well however the haphazard narration and incompleteness is what let's it down.

Rather than being a 6 part miniseries it's 2x weakly linked three-part stories following different characters as they try to make sense of the situation they're in. This all abruptly stops clearly setting itself up for the next half of the story. Rather than season 1 I'd call this part 1 of the series as nothing has been explained yet.

I was certainly interested in what was going on. But no answers are really given and were kept in the dark as much as the characters.

If the writers wished to keep the audience as in the dark as the characters, the opening scene should've been omitted too.

Whilst I enjoyed and was mesmerized by this show so far, I feel like they should've completed the season rather than just do a short 6 episodes and stop abruptly teasing another episode season to complete the story.

If you like disaster movies and movies about society coping during a disaster you'll likely enjoy this. There is gore and it feels incredibly gratuitous, as it doesn't really matter being explicit Vs implicit. There are also a number of plot holes that do require some suspension of belief but if you can overlook that it's a good spectacle and I feel that it has potential of being great, when it's finished.

He's Just Not That Into You (2009)

Disappointing

[2/10 · 20 September 2022]

This was weaker then "lukewarm". Even the production value was lost on this. Some scenes weren't event professionally lit.

The entire budget must've gone to the cast.

I caught this on TV and was surprised to see so many familiar faces, but my god was it dull. Some of the vast are Oscar winners, Jennifer Connelly, Bradley Cooper . And yet they're incredibly wasted in this and seem unable to act in such a terrible movie.

I was even able to watch this movie in another language and understand every scene without subtitles due to how predictable and obvious each scene was. I've seen more nuance and complexity in children's cartoons.

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

A terrible copy of 2002's The Secretary

[2/10 · 2 July 2022]

It makes sense when you learn of the origin of 50 Shades Of Gray. It all started with Twilight, apparently the author was a frequent on the Twilighterotic fan fiction forums where the characters of twilight were put in erotic situations.

Allegedly the author was even copying other people's works. Along the way the story of 50 shades of gray was developed and turned into a book and then movie.

When watching the 50 shades of gray movie, between cringing and being flabbergasted at how awful the movie was, iit occured to me how similar 50 shades of gray was with 2002's Secretary.

It's like someone watched The Secretary and decided to remake it without any plot, satire or eroticism for soccer moms.

Sex Is Zero (2002)

Sex Is Zero

[4/10 · 29 June 2021]

I see this movie compared to American Pie a lot, often called the "Korean American Pie", but there's few similarities. Sure the movie's about young adults having sex, but that describes tens of thousands of American teen comedies. Th biggest similarity is that Sex Is Zero is a gross out comedy, American Pie is also a gross out comedy. The difference is, American gross out comedies tend to have toilet humor, (fart jokes, diarrhoea etc), Sex Is God is more about cooking and eating semen, nearly dying from bleeding after dancing right after having abortions etc).

American Pie (as well as other American teen comedies) have a plot, with character arcs and overall progression of story. There's not really a story in Sex Is God, it's more like a series of gross out scenarios. Characters all doing strange and disgusting things, and the scene ends and another scene begins. There's only really two characters that sort of have a story together but it's so incredibly shallow that it really doesn't make much difference other than just linking one set of characters to another.

It's certainly interesting seeing such a comedy from Korea, especially due to their extreme censorship.

It's also incredible seeing Ha Ji-won. And Won-Young Choi, two of Koreas most popular stars, in their early years. I admit I doubt I'd have finished the movie if they weren't in it.

There's definitely some unforgettable moments in the movie, although I'm not sure how many of them I will remember fondly. Definitely worth a watch if you have a strong stomach, just due to how bizarre it actually is.

Do Not Resist (2016)

Strong message diluted by indirect narrative and unimpactful editing

[7/10 · 22 December 2016]

My introduction to this documentary was the trailer "Official trailer 1" on Youtube. Prior to seeing that I had no knowledge of this film

I feel like the pace, and editing of the trailer is far more direct and purposeful than that of the film itself. I found the introduction of this film a very slow start and through the first 15-20 minutes of this I questioned if I wanted to continue watching the movie.

I found that lack of any narrative and general laid-back approach to introducing the movie within the first 15-20 minutes off-putting and weak. It isn't until after first 20 minutes that we get to the message of the documentary aside from "riots are bad". I found the lack of any direct interview footage for the first 25 minutes of the film a poor choice, as as the film nears it's end some of the interviews are the strongest asset of the movie.

It's clear that there was a intentional and conscious decision to try to balance and intercut all informational footage with action scenes/task force and protest footage, which is fine for keeping things interesting, but it gets repetitive and uninteresting as it loses it's punch of the message. I feel like just a simple re-edit of this movie would really deliver a much stronger punch of "yes the army are actually giving away for free their mostly unused military equipment to the police force without any training" and yes "these novice officers are mostly misusing this military equipment for riots suppression and fear tactics where they are not actually allowed to do so."

I found the interviews and court-room footage, far more powerful than the constant need to keep standing around and watching the black lives matters protests. I absolutely understand that the Missouri and Mike Brown riots/protests are a big deal, but really I found most of it lacked any real purpose or direction in terms of storytelling.

I do recommend this documentary as it really does have something to say, especially towards the end, and there's lots of factual and informational footage buried in this movie, sadly I feel that it loses it's place as a must see documentary just because of how haphazardly it tries to find it's footing as a documentary with a message, especially for the first half.

The Last Stand (2013)

Little gun/fight action. Terribly written, both plot-wise and dialog-wise

[5/10 · 19 October 2015]

Good to see arnie back but action with him is very brief, the film is more about car chases, there's only really a 5 minute action scene with guns and a 3 minute fight scene. Plus the film is terribly written, both plot-wise and dialog-wise. Tries to be funny in the most awkward ways, major plot points make little sense. (Metal handcuffs not affected by magnet? Police helicopter doesn't have infra red? Why build a bridge, why not arrange a helicopter to transport them over the canyon, then to another car. why did the swat team not attack the corvette instead of trying to drive into it, presumably they have weaponry? )

Haywire (2011)

Disappointing

[3/10 · 24 December 2014]

I was very interested to see this movie. A film with a real heroine, a woman that can take care of herself, beat up the bad guys/gals and not just exist as a model actress (though Gina is very beautiful) while all the stunt women do the real work.

However, what I got with this movie was horrible acting with wooden performances, cheesy lounge music over everything, and exceptionally dull dialog. The main draw of a women mma fighter, "the third best 145 lb (66 kg) fighter in the world", was that we'd get a real actress that handles all the dialog, the acting and some great fighting, as she actually knows how to fight properly (muay thai no less). However the fight scenes were over-directed, over-edited, and too short. Very few moments even felt like they were Gina, as the heavy editing could've allowed for a stunt double anyway. Gina seems to lack the charisma to hold a lead role as pretty much any of the supporting super-cast gave more energy and life to the film than she was able to.

To see how a movie can look with a real fighter/actor look no further than JCVD. The film with John Claude Van Damme playing a version of himself with realistic action scenes and tense drama. The opening 5 minutes of that film alone better demonstrates what can be done with an actor than knows how to fight than any moment in this film can possibly wish to achieve.

Nobody Knows (2004)

King Of The Hill

[6/10 · 20 September 2012]

I was quite disappointed with this movie, it was very slow, lacking in character arcs, plot or emotion. The abandonment and the 'fending for themselves' is interesting, but it's half shot like a documentary, half shot like a progressive drama. But there's very little to take from the film. The characters are pretty shallow, despite the great acting and close-up shots.

A movie this reminded me a lot of is King Of the Hill, a fantastically made movie about a boy left to fend for himself as his parents have to leave. There's adventure, a coming-of-age character arc, a plot with strong overtones. Very strongly written characters in addition to the good cast. Obviously they're not identical films, but I would recommend King Of The Hill tenfold over this. I'm a hugely into Asian cinema, but other than good camera-work, there's very little to this film.

Chasing Sleep (2000)

A movie made for insomniacs

[10/10 · 10 September 2012]

I'm glad that the publisher finally decided to release a Region 2. It's bizarre to me that it took until 2012 for a DVD release, and I hope it doesn't take another 10 for a bluray.

I saw this film on Sky around 10 years ago, at around 4/5am during my insomniac period, which of course is very fitting for this film. The way it played on the psychology of sleeplessness, and the way that fantasy (and therefore horror) and the loneliness of existing during a time where you feel most detached, was very well orchestrated. It's a simple film, and probably doesn't help explain the condition to those not fully aware of what it's like not to sleep for an extended period of time, but I feel that this movie was made for insomniacs. This is my favourite Jeff Bridges role, and I am looking forward to watching the director's upcoming works.

For those that enjoy this movie I recommended the following films: Bringing Out The Dead, Cash Back, The Machinist, Insomnia, Fight Club, Donnie Darko.

F.3.A.R. (2011 Video Game)

Great atmosphere, but losing touch with it's roots

[15 March 2012]

Atmospherically, F3ar a great game still. It takes what made Fear 1 + 2 great and amps up the kinetic events and scares. Sadly what I loved about Fear 1 + 2 was the suspense. It had a Resident Evil atmosphere, of slow and deliberate. With gradual and intermittent horror. F3ar has decided that suspense isn't as good as constant horror. There's never a quiet moment, it's either battling mechs and soldiers, or demons and zombie-like enemies with explosives strapped to their chests. Gone are the ghosts and spirits from the prequels, and instead it is now Hell on Earth.

It actually feels less like a FEAR game now, and more like Dead Space, a series I also love a great deal. But Dead Space 2 also amped up it's horror and action as a trade-in for suspense, but the overall feel of the game stayed pretty much the same. F3ar 3 has basically ditched the entire spirit/kinetic system and gone for a more physical-battle approach.

Point man now has a face, but awkwardly no voice, the brother is now personified and this results in quite silly and dull cut-scenes. Alma is pretty much only in child-form, which is a good decision, but she pretty much poses no threat at all now. Gone are the health and reflex boosters, and the answering machine messages which simulated the Resident Evil diaries.

There are many demonic enemies, some taking great deal of time to kill. I had to use the slow-mo far more in this game than in any of the prequels (in fact I seldom used slow-mo in the previous games), it's quite challenging.

I do have to say it's my least favourite of the 3. It's probably not one I'll replay. The plot was very shallow and basic, more like a Resistance game than a FEAR game.

With so many similar games: FEAR, Dead Space, Resistance, and in part Bioshock. It seems silly for FEAR to lose so much of it's individualism. I will definitely be more hesitant about buying a sequel, and I hope they return to their Resident Evil homage roots.

But as far as gameplay goes, the atmosphere was good, the weapons and combat worked well, and aside from some battles feeling too long, and others feeling too short, it'd be a better game to play in short bursts than try to plough through for the plot as I did.

Blueprint (2003)

Cheesy movie with nothing to say (Watch Never Let Me Go Instead)

[2/10 · 13 March 2012]

The premise interests me, and Potente is a great actress. But it was a very disappointing film. The concept, overly simple, the sci-fi element is toned down as much as possible, and while it tries to focus on the idea that the clone would reach a point in life where it wanted to be it's own person, the concept has been done before, and far far better than this.

The clone's rebelling in this film is pathetic, the dynamic of the relationships is poor. There is no philosophical element to the film.

All the characters are frightfully shallow, even the 'mother' and 'daughter' characters. I haven't read the original novel, but the film has no depth at all. Siri has no personality, so the idea that she wanted to be herself instead of her 'mother' doesn't come across well at all, and while Potente actually does a decent performance, the direction, script and aimless flashbacks say very little in a long amount of time. I've seen short films say with this the premise in a few minutes than this film did in just under two hours.

For anyone that wants to watch a more fleshed out, recent, full-length film with the same premise. Never Let Me Go (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1334260/) might be a better choice.