THE UNIVERSAL THEORY
Genre
Thriller and Fiction
Running time
100 minutes
Year
2023
Language
German, French and Italian
Country
Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Director
Timm Kröger
Bio
Producer
Viktoria Stolpe, Heino Deckert
Cast
Jan Bülow, Olivia Ross, Hanns Zischler, Gottfried Breitfuss, David Bennet, Philippe Graber, Imogene Kogge
Scriptwriter
Roderick Warich, Timm Kröger
A congress for theoretical physicists in the snow-covered Swiss Alps is the spectacular setting for this truly extraordinary film, which plays with the idea of the multiverse and the infinite possibilities it suggests. Doctoral student Johannes (Jan Bulow) arrives with his disagreeable supervisor, expecting to hear an eminent Iranian scientist talk about his theory of quantum mechanics. But the keynote speaker doesn’t show up, another scientist is murdered, strange and apparently poisonous clouds billow overhead and, most mysteriously of all, there are ominous roars coming from tunnels rumoured to run under the mountains. Meanwhile, Johannes is falling for the hotel’s enigmatic pianist (Olivia Ross) who seems to know things about him he hasn’t told anyone – not in this universe, anyway.
Other movies
THE SECRET AGENT
Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Fasten your seatbelts: Brazil is in the throes of a military dictatorship and left-leaning academic Marcelo (Wagner Moura) is on the run and headed to Recife with his young son. Once there, he has to get his papers — and best the rogue’s gallery of characters and scenarios strewn in his path by director Kleber Mendonça Filho. Set in 1977, The Secret Agent is full of surprises, cycling between B movie set pieces, some pointed satire and duelling timelines and perspectives. It is a sharp political drama that delivers an entertaining and suspenseful ride, which won best actor and best director at Cannes this year for Moura and Filho respectively. It is also Brazil’s submission to the US Academy Awards.
COUTURE
Director: Alice Winocour
A delicate garment, feature film Couture is about women brought together in one place, at different stages of life, their stories spinning off one another. Angelina Jolie gives a raw and honest performance in a leading role that is both personal but also universal. Filmmaker Alice Winocour sets the drama during Paris fashion week, where South Sudanese model Ada (Anyier Anei) is alone in the big city. Seamstress Christine (Garance Marillier) is working on Ada's show stopper dress. Angele (Ella Rumpf) is a make-up artist, while Maxine (Jolie) is an American film director there to shoot the fashion house's finale. Soon however, she'll receive news that she has breast cancer. Louis Garrel and Vincent Lindon co-star in this drama of considerable poignancy and potency. "This film contains scenes that may be considered sensitive for some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised"