Lara (2019)

Lara: Directed by Jan-Ole Gerster. With Tom Schilling, Rainer Bock, Mala Emde, Corinna Harfouch. It’s Lara’s 60th birthday, and this very evening, her son will be giving his debut piano concert. Lara mapped out his musical career. But Lara is not welcome at his debut performance. Even if Lara engages, everything gets out of control.

“The writing, and the central performance by Corinna Harfouch combine to make this film work. The writing has the qualities of an excellent short story; it builds through character and opens up the themes to the piece by episodes which are proportionate and cohere.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCarrying the film, Harfouch, delivers a nuanced and strong performance in which she seems to have multiple ways to convey pain and regret, disappointment and disillusion. In some key scenes she pivots to pride, and even arrogance, all of which convey the turmoil in the character.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe story is familiar enough and done in a style that is not hackneyed, using other elements, in locations and minor characters, to present the loneliness and failure of Harfouchu0026#39;s character.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAn engaging film that is worth seeing again.”