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★★★★★
25 March 2020
A movie review of LARA. |
D: Jan Ole Gerster (A COFFEE IN BERLIN).
S: Corinna Harfouch, Tom Schilling, Maria Dragus, Volkmar Kleinert, Gudrun Ritter, Mala Emde, Volkmar Kleinert.
“You were extremely ambitious. Insanely ambitious,” Professor Reinhoffer (Volkmar Kleinert)
LARA is a German anti-WHIPLASH, from the perspective of the narcissistic teacher. And is worth the seven-year wait for director Jan Ole Gerster's sophomore narrative feature. As a double-bill, WHIPLASH [2014] and LARA share themes of perfectionism, envy, and projection. Driving another to be the best, because they were not. Lara (Corinna Harfouch) is prickly and lonely. One assumes that Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) was similarly isolated. He certainly was also irascible. It is interesting to compare how society might view the two characters. Is there a double standard when it comes to merciless mentorship? A hard woman is even more of an anathema to many.
S: Corinna Harfouch, Tom Schilling, Maria Dragus, Volkmar Kleinert, Gudrun Ritter, Mala Emde, Volkmar Kleinert.
“You were extremely ambitious. Insanely ambitious,” Professor Reinhoffer (Volkmar Kleinert)
LARA is a German anti-WHIPLASH, from the perspective of the narcissistic teacher. And is worth the seven-year wait for director Jan Ole Gerster's sophomore narrative feature. As a double-bill, WHIPLASH [2014] and LARA share themes of perfectionism, envy, and projection. Driving another to be the best, because they were not. Lara (Corinna Harfouch) is prickly and lonely. One assumes that Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) was similarly isolated. He certainly was also irascible. It is interesting to compare how society might view the two characters. Is there a double standard when it comes to merciless mentorship? A hard woman is even more of an anathema to many.
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“You’re getting cold feet, because everyone’s leaving you, Lara’s mother (Gudrun Ritter). Lara the protagonist and LARA the movie are fascinating. She is mesmerising to observe, but one would not want to enter her sphere. She is a supernova, reached over the 24-hour period we spend with her. The shock wave pounds all those entering her orbit. Her prodigal son has been avoiding her. We will see why. Our hearts will go out to him, a victim of emotional abuse. The skill of the film is that we will feel a little sorry for her too. The choices she made. If there is a dawning realisation, is it too late for redemption?
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The tight time frame, one day in the life of the titular lead, is a gripping creative choice. Lara Jenkins’ 60th birthday. The day you arguably become a pensioner. Seismic. Existential soul-searching may have a person wonder if it is possible to perform a do-over? LARA shows even after 59 birthdays, she still has a chance. We wonder over 98 minutes, through occasionally clenched fingers of awkwardness, whether she will let this final opportunity slip through hers. LARA can also be compared to THE WRESTLER [2008].
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As with Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) in THERE WILL BE BLOOD [2007], the filmmakers create immediate sympathy. Here, rather than have the lead drag himself for miles, the focus is seen climbing up to her apartment window in what seems to be a suicidal move. A doorbell saves Lara. That alters her path. Why was she about to end it? Lara is self-obsessed. Was it to be the ultimate act of stealing the limelight from her son? The motivations for a deed of such despair are for the audience to contemplate.
The film is compelling. The drama is accompanied by a little humour too. Her ex-colleagues hate her. She is indifferent to everyone, bar her son, Viktor (Tom Schilling), who is living the life she wished for herself. LARA is tragic and ironic.
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