Hey folks, Harry here and this is definitely one we need to see. First off - any review that declares a film the best of a midnight section of a film fest... that means the film is fun, fucked-up and surprising as hell. Which automatically makes it a multiple-view worthy experience. Here's the lowdown from MiraJeff on ANTIBODIES!
The best all-around movie in the Midnight section at Tribeca is writer/director Christian Alvart’s “Antibodies,” a German film that refreshingly relies on its smart script for scares, rather than grandiose gore. The story concerns a rural police officer trying to coax a confession out of a serial killing pederast who refuses to admit to one killing that has haunted the cop and loomed like a storm cloud over his village. The film opens with sadomasochistic, artistically-inclined Gabriel Engel narrating that the world’s most notorious serial killers were hardly killers at all. Jack the Ripper is infamous for killing five worthless prostitutes. Charlie Manson didn’t commit one murder himself. We’re then thrust into a gripping opening sequence set to some German, euro-trash techno score. An elderly landlady has called the police after hearing some screaming coming from the apartment upstairs. The cops have been looking for a brutal child killer and the look in their eyes and their wavering guns tell us they think they’ve found him. After a standoff and brief shootout, the killer makes a daring and exciting escape outside. He pulls his naked, bloody body along the wet asphalt of back alleys until the cops find him and he lies bloody and broken, laughing hysterically like a maniac. Engel is a true monster, as evident during his tape recorded confession where he jerks off in his hospital bed, as he recounts his crimes.
We’re then introduced to our hero, Michael Martens and his family, including a wife, son, and daughter. The women are tertiary characters but his son plays a pivotal role in the story, as he exhibits elements of the holy trinity of serial killing- bedwetting, animal abuse, and pyromania. Michael is distracted from his son’s cries for attention when he gets word that the suspected killer has been caught, and gets permission to interview him. Immediately, Engel recognizes farmer/cop Michael as different and offers to confess to him and only him, if he answers a ‘few questions in return. They play a rousing game of quid pro quo as Engel subjects Michael to a perverted and humiliating line of questioning, including what he thinks about when he fucks his wife. Gabriel engages Michael in a twisted mind game that leaves Michael trusting no one, lashing out at his own family, and questioning his sanity. After hours of talking to the guy and obsessing over the violence he has seen first hand, the stress begins to take its toll and we slowly see Michael becoming the kind of unfeeling animal he protects people from. For example, when he cheats on his wife in a scene better suited for a German porn film.
You see, Gabriel represents pure evil, which he believes is contagious and has infected Michael. In the end, Michael is forced to make a moral decision during a surprising climax, which leaves him torn between his own principles of justice and what he feels in his heart to be right.
Alvart’s film is not without problems. For one, it runs a little long (127 mins.) with a middle that meanders and drags, bogged down in character development and planting red herrings. I also remember some small plot holes and logic problems, mainly regarding how much information some characters have and who knows what, and how. Another problem I had, and this may be because I am hardly religious, but there’re too many biblical references that come on stronger, and are even more distracting, during the film’s final act, though they are quite parallel to the story. I also had no idea why there was a Norman Reedus cameo, which seemed like a desperate attempt to attach any kind of recognizable name in America to the film.
On the flip side, Alvart does coax strong performances from his cast, particularly Andre Hennicke as the murderer, who plays Engel as an updated Hannibal Lecter. Lecter is a screen villain Engel often tips his cap to, so long as Martens distinguishes that Lecter was fiction, and the evil before his eyes, is in fact, quite real. The music by Michl Britsch is creepily effective and I liked that the film didn’t hop on the quick-cut, strobe light editing bandwagon, and took its time setting up stories, though a little trim wouldn’t hurt. Writer/director Alvart is an international talent to keep your eye on and overall, “Antibodies” is an entertaining thriller that puts its own spin on the tired serial killer genre.
Serial Killer/Murder Mystery Genre Footnote: I like that Hollywood is starting to make true crime pictures, thanks to the success of “Monster,” including a new movie about the In Cold Blood murders with Daniel Craig taking over Robert Blake’s role as Perry Smith, Brian DePalma’s Black Dahlia movie, David Fincher’s Zodiac movie, the Salma Hayek serial-killer movie, and if anyone wants to buy my Lizzie Borden script, then the genre’s transformation would really be complete.
I’ll be back with tons more reviews including other Midnight festival entries including Long Distance, Reeker, Shutter, and Premonition. This is MiraJeff, checking out. Feel free to contact me at MiraJeff!
