Cloud 9

PëRMBLEDHJE

The romantic and sexual possibilities of old age are explored in frank yet tender detail in German director Andreas Dresen's thoughtful drama. Acknowledging that advancing years are no barrier to all-consuming emotion, the leisurely tale sees married 60-something Inge (Ursula Werner) abruptly turn her previously happy life upside down by embarking on a passionate affair with vigorous septuagenarian Karl (Horst Westphal). In touching scenes that speak volumes through their simplicity, the duo experience the pure pleasures of young love - their mutual joy and reinvigoration beautifully conveyed in Werner and Westphal's ultra-natural performances. It's in sharp contrast to Inge's dull but dependable relationship with her husband of three decades (Horst Rehberg), making her painful moral dilemma over her infidelity even more affecting. The only false note comes in the feature's hurried final act, when a contrived, predictable resolution replaces the low-key realism with cautionary melodrama.