This is an absolute gem of a film. I hadn't done my homework - just ticked it a as good option to see in the NZ International Film Festival, but I was hooked form the opening scenes. It's a subtle, beautifully played film, based around a young writer (Leon) who is struggling to put the finishing touches to a novel, while staying at what is turning out to be the holiday home from hell. Leon is his own worst enemy, always makes the wrong choice, and then beats himself up about it. There is a sinister backdrop to the story, and an unsettling tonal shift toward the end - but that's life, right? Despite the dark undercurrent that gradually emerges, the film is also very funny, and therefore works on more than one level - as a study of human behaviour but also as pure entertainment. I loved this film, and I highly recommend it.

Fire is a force that can destroy and devastate, but it's also one thar can cleanse, sweeping away what's of questionable value in order to clear space for robust, vigorous, valued new growth. And, sometimes, it can do both simultaneously, as demonstrated in writer-director Christian Petzold's latest, a searing drama/wry comedy about four old/newfound friends who are unwittingly drawn together at a summer house near the Baltic seacoast. Their time together proves revelatory, stressful and enlightening, in part because of their interactions, the disclosures that come out of those relationships, and the looming threat of ravaging forest fires that threaten them and their existence, both literally and metaphorically. The film is a slowburn in every sense of the word, especially at the outset, with a somewhat cryptic narrative that seems rather meandering at times, but that sets the stage for what's to follow in the back half. The picture subsequently presents a witty but profoundly insightful examination of what makes us who we are, how much we enjoy or endure our lives, and what we can do to make it better for ourselves when we eliminate what no longer serves us. In many respects, "Afire" is probably not what most viewers will expect, but, then, that's a huge part of its appeal, a refreshing, engaging look at life and what we make of it, a valuable exercise given how abruptly it can all be taken away, leaving us to ask ourselves, what did we do with the time we had and was it indeed worth it in the end? Give this one time to unfold, and let it sink in. It may help you realize and understand more about yourself than you can possibly imagine.

This is a really good and well made movie and somehow reminds me of French movies and Francois Truffaut to be specific.. I was first drawn to the music in the trailer and had a feeling about the film's delicate sensitivity and that I would like it. My intuition was correct. The main character is such as interesting leading man, interesting because he isn't a typical protagonist, not particularly attractive, nor charismatic, rather insecure and uncomfortable. For some reason I completely related to him and a viewer would care about what happens to him. (At least I did). (Something important in any good story line). .He is so quiet and yet one senses so much passion inside of him. (I will give no exact details as that would result in "spoilers".) Put it this way. He has written or at least is working on a book and very much hopes it will be approved of by his editor and others. This seems to be his major preoccupation and I think how he sees it as potentially affirming his very self-worth and existence. His connections to the people around him seem to shift though out the movie, and one can see his sense of how little he can control or even predict, as if the world and its people are floating and interacting around him. (I just love movies with shorelines of sandy beaches and long wide shots of the sea. Maybe that's why I gave it 10 vs 9 stars! ) There's much more to the movie than this, but I think you should watch it and see what happens and why it is called Afire. No spoilers here.