Mama, mama, mama, mama...

Continuing my trip up The Guardian's Top 50 Movies of 2020...

#29 : System Crasher (Systemsprenger)

German drama about an out-of-control child, featuring an astounding performance by then-nine-year-old Helena Zengel as a violent, rowdy kid with whom the established social-work systems simply cannot cope.

And, following on from our first Austrian film, we hop over the border for our first German film - and who's not going to love a film about a violent, rowdy kid that the system can't cope with?  I was expecting a worthy, challenging but totally depressing and ultimately pointless watch - would I be pleasantly surprised?  Well...

As a parent, it's certainly a challenging watch - most kids (and certainly nearly all those in films) don't get to be violent and rowdy without a helping hand from some charming adults along the way and they're certainly present here.  Additionally, there's obviously plenty of worthy adults working within the system, so that box gets ticked off quickly as well.  

But the film as a whole wasn't as worthy as I feared - but it was a lot more challenging (and heartbreaking) than I expected.  I think I must have watched it in about 6 or 7 sections because you could just tell things were going to go horribly, horribly wrong and I just wasn't up to facing it.  And they didn't always, but they mostly did.  And the things that went well just ended up backfiring horribly as well.  Sigh.  At the start, I wasn't expecting the film to offer solutions or resolutions but my expectations just went down and down as the film went on.  But whilst it doesn't, it ends in a reasonably satisfying way - if this film tied everything up with a neat bow I feel you'd be somewhat disappointed.  I would however say it doesn't really need to be 2 hours long.

It is, without a doubt, a truly astounding performance from Helena Zengel - you really feel the smarts she shows in playing the system and the wider world around it, the confusion she displays when it turns against her and the rage she releases when things all get too much.  And without that performance, this film would be nothing but it's not only that because it's also very well written - it's a well put together slow, inevitable, downward spiral which you can't take your eyes off.  In terms of supporting characters, Abrecht Schuch (playing Micha) and Gabriela Schmeide (playing Frau Bafane) also deserve a mention for their very believable (and worthy!) performances.

For the most part, t's not a film that has a lot to do with either sound or cinematography, but it does a good enough job when called upon - particular in the scene where they venture out into the country,  However, Wikipedia tells me this is the director's debut - it's a very impressive account opener.  It also tells me the screenplay won an award before the film was even made and the completed article won 8 awards at the German Film Awards - I can quite see that it's all in all a very impressive achievement.

But, whilst this is a great film but it's also an awful, depressing film - it's not a horror film, but at times there's more horror here than in entire films that are trying far too hard to scare you.  But there are also moments of incredible tenderness which come out of nowhere and melt your heart.  I was almost afraid to watch it before I started but having done so, I can honestly say I never, ever want to watch it again.  Hopefully that means I'm a nice person and a good parent but I can't help but feel it means I don't want to face reality.  Because I know that this is reality for not many, but some, people.  Overall, I'm glad I watched it but it really was a challenging watch - I feel comfortable in recommending it if only for the central performance, but you'd really have to be in the mood for a challenge.

At time of writing, it's available to rent at most of the usual locations - but make sure you're in the mood for it!

#30 - Intriguing but ultimately disappointing
#28 - Just avoid