Das Mädchen (2009)

Das Mädchen: Directed by Fredrik Edfeldt. With Blanca Engström, Shanti Roney, Annika Hallin, Calle Lindqvist. Story of a nine-and-a-half year old girl left alone in Sweden while her family is in Africa during the summer of 1981.

“Very cool movie. u0026quot;The Girlu0026quot; (2009) should be required viewing for all film and video production students. Each shot is a creative tapestry of composition, light, and shadow. Fredrick Edfeldtu0026#39;s acting-for-the camera direction is inspired and Blanca Engstrom gives the perfect nuanced and underplayed performance needed to match the pace and tone of his film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut the real star of this remarkable film is Swiss cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, who has since been the Director of Photography for u0026quot;Interstellaru0026quot; (2014). The film is worth a second watch just to appreciate each carefully composed shot. Iu0026#39;ve never seen anyone do it better, even breaking the 180 rule several times in the service of underscoring the girlu0026#39;s increasingly disoriented drift from reality.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt is not an entirely original story. There are many of the creepy elements from u0026quot;Tidelandu0026quot; (2005) and some from u0026quot;The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Laneu0026quot; (1976), but u0026quot;The Girlu0026quot; is much more naturalistic and gentle than those two films. It could also be considered a placid u0026quot;Alice In Wonderlandu0026quot;, subtly off-kilter with Louis Carrollu0026#39;s illogic replaced by the mundane but equally disturbing logic of the modern adult world.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThen again, what do I know? Iu0026#39;m only a child.”