The Trap

Every serious moviegoer enters each theater with the hope that this film will be that little gem that one can expect at most once a year (and some years it doesn't happen at all). This film is that little jewel; I was lucky enough to see it at its premier in the Berlinale. It asks the question, "what is a good man"? Can a man be good in some parts of his life and not at all good in others? In life, who becomes the ultimate arbiter of goodness? The film also introduces an interesting tension around traditional gender roles -- the husband/father expected to be the provider -- even while portraying seemingly modern women. This tension is an important driving force, in addition to the difficult challenge facing the main character. The resulting violence that occurs is at once completely believable and yet shocking; seemingly ancillary to the main plot is one scene of senseless violence against a street child that is quite breath-taking. There is a great symmetry to this movie, centering around a particular street corner on which that child hustles as a window-washer. We return to this place again and again, at different times and in different psychological states. Overall this film is masterfully crafted and acted with complex layers and much to reflect upon. I recommend it in the highest terms.