German language crime drama in which a bomb explosion forces a woman to cope with the loss of her husband and son.
Diane Kruger excels in a devastating and essential drama that shines a spotlight on far-right terrorism.
In The Fade manages to be absorbing character study, courtroom nailbiter and vengeful woman flick, all the while taking the temperature of neo-Nazism in Germany. It’s flawed but powerful, mostly down to a revelatory performance from Diane Kruger.
Kruger shows us the depth of the mother’s grief as well as her rage, incomprehension and refusal to be consoled.
It’s only when Kruger’s character takes the law into her own hands – with a driving score by Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme — that it properly comes to life.
Kruger’s solid central turn is rendered null and void by the hacky, hyperbolic drama that surrounds it.
Kruger’s compelling performance gives emotional weight to an overwrought tale.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
RSS feed of Cinema reviews