At the age of Ellen

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Movie
Original title At the age of Ellen
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 2010
length 95 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Pia Marais
script Pia Marais ,
Horst Markgraf
production Christoph Friedel ,
Claudia Steffen
music Horst Markgraf,
Yoyo Röhm
camera Hélène Louvart
cut Mona Bräuer
occupation

At the age of Ellen is a German feature film from 2010 with Jeanne Balibar in the lead role. Directed by Pia Marais . It is a tragicomic life crisis drama with bizarre, surreal features. The film addresses the self-discovery of a woman in her midlife crisis , which breaks all bridges behind her. Animals represent symbolic stations on this diffuse, enigmatic journey through life.

action

A world collapses for the 43-year-old flight attendant, Ellen, when she learns that her partner's friend is expecting a child from him. She has a breakdown at work and is suspended from duty. Immediately afterwards she watches an orgy as a guest at the airport hotel. Her life is out of balance, she is unable to be alone. She goes underground, joins a group of animal rights activists and gets to know Karl, who has dropped out. Ellen senses that these people have a purpose in life that she previously lacked and is drawn to their solidarity and commitment. She takes part in provocative and dangerous actions. Her former boyfriend Florian tries to win her back to live in a love triangle with her. But Ellen marries Karl to free him from military service. Maybe just to get even further away from their bourgeois life. But Ellen only gives in to this unconventional relationship for a short time. She soon disappears in secret and shows up as an animal rights activist in Africa. On her aimless, surreal odyssey , she seems to gain inner strength and overcome her midlife crisis.

Reviews

The film was viewed very differently by the critics, which is not unusual for innovative film concepts. The palette ranges from "fascination" to "self-discovery kitsch":

“In this mysteriousness, which has not been resolved to the end, Ellen has something strange, irritating, sometimes disturbing - but always fascinating. It almost seems as if this woman is a guest in one's own existence. And the longer this courageous film, which cannot be compared with anything, lasts, the more one wonders whether we are not all of us. "

- TIME ONLINE

“But Jeanne Balibar as Ellen, in her German, which has always sounded by heart, distilled from all these components a character that is above all meaningless. What remains are images overloaded with symbolism and the lack of need for self-discovery kitsch. "

- TAZ

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ ZEIT ONLINE
  2. ↑ taz.de

Web links