User Reviews

Diane Kruger is a very underrated actor. This little gem of a movie yet again showcases her enormous talent. The emotional range she is able to express with only the slightest nuanced eye movements is amazing.

This is an excellent little movie dealing with human tragedy at an extremely personal level. The raw presentation of the victim's emotions and actions is superb. No American melodrama or saccharine cosseting.

I feel it drops to an 8 only because the evil motivations of the perpetrators is not adequately explored. They are treated almost as faceless protagonists instead of the critical components they are

Still, a compelling watch!

I really wanted to see this but know that expectations for films can be a negative momentum that might destroy the enjoyment of the movie.

So, throughout the first act I was somewhat disappointed. Altough it is indeed a devastating scenario, it felt like the movie did not trust me to feel bad enough already - dark colours, endless rain and a camera that does not dare to move away from Diane Krugers face...It annoyed me that the creation of a uncanny atmosphere felt so forced.

Yet, as the movie progressed, I was more and more amazed. The 2nd act brought in new camera work, longer, steady shots that brought stability into the images as the characters tried to find theirs. The transistion of the court speaking the sentence and Katja getting her tattoo was one of the most memorable edits I have seen in a long time. Overall the courthouse scenes had a really defined feel and setting to them, which underlined the characters strong play.

The third act made me afraid, I was expecting it to turn out like a usual "tough woman goes maverick"-thriller. Not that I don't enjoy that, I have just seen it too much and it would seem undeserving for this story. But: This isn't a Hollywood production! The character was insecure, realistic, tangible, we could not see it coming how this drama would turn out but neither could the characters - and thats how life is. At times, we have no idea how to deal with tragedy, guilt, death, we're helpless in the face of institutional justice but also do not find ways to bring justice ourselves and when we are faced with our enemies, we might even doubt if we are the right ones to judge them. Hollywood gives these big questions simple answers, this movie does not.

After a bumpy start I grew to like this a lot.

I've been a Faith Akin fan since Giegen Die Wand (Head-On)and I love his rock 'n' roll style. I knew this film was going to be depressing but it also is like a thriller towards the end, which left my heart pumping so loudly. Diane Kruger is a phenomenal actress in this, she is so believable and extreme. There are some clichés/stereotypes in the story which pull it down. I think the effect post-film, was very strong and I couldn't escape fast enough, it was so tense and terrifying.

Here's another unheard of foreign film which, in all likliehood, will stay unheard of, at least in the U.S. It played in 2 theaters in NYC and today is the last day. It contains one of the best performances by an actress I have seen in quite a while - and I saw Frances McDormand in "3 Billboards". Diane Kruger plays a woman whose husband and son are killed in a terrorist bombing. After a period of mourning she is bent on revenge, and she was so good and so convincing in her grief you could almost feel her pain. The other noteworthy performance in the picture - and there are several that are noteworthy - was that of the Defense Attorney, played to perfection by Johannes Kirsch, who summons up all the hatred you can spare.

I guess you'll have to wait until it comes out on DVD, but you won't be disappointed. Foreign films and Indies are the wave of the future, since Hollywood has forfeited its place in the motion picture field. Screenplay and acting win the day - substance over form is the ticket in 2018.

After a woman's husband and son die in a bomb attack, her life collapses and she must come to terms with injustice in what is another film about xenophobia, reconciliation and ultimately European identity by German- Turkish writer/director Faith Akin. Diane Kruger delivers a powerhouse performance as she gives her character enough emotional depth without overdoing it to bring her grief and anger to life. Inspired by xenophobic murders in Germany by a neo-Nazi group, the film sets out with good premise, starts strong but then falls into familiar narrative territory before concluding with an ending that would dissatisfy some audiences. It labels itself as a political film but doesn't have a solid stab for it to deliver in what is otherwise an entertaining, sometimes intense picture.

Only after I saw "Aus dem Nichts" I realized the distance felt watching foreign movies, that keeps me safe from too much emotional contact. As a German this movie felt so real, depicting real events (apart from the ending) and knowing these evil bastards are still among us, planing their next move.

The ending could have been more satisfying, but this was probably the only realistic conclusion for a mother and wife, that lost everything.

Diane Kruger was amazing, tears were shed and after the credits rolled, I needed another 10 minutes to get up.

Very powerful movie, but you should be in the right mood.

There isn't much I can say about this film that hasn't already been said.

The acting is superb, the story keeps you engaged right to the end and is tight from start to finish.

A refreshing change from the deluge of American factory drama.

"In the Fade" is a Drama movie in which we watch a woman losing both her husband and her son in a bomb attack. Soon she will realize and find out some new information about the bomb attack and she will seek revenge.

I liked this movie because it had a very interesting plot, with some plot twists that made it even more interesting. It had also many in tense and dramatic scenes something that helped the audience connect with the main actress and made us feel and understand better what she is being through. The interpretation of Diane Kruger who played as Katja Sekerci was simply amazing and I believe that she did an outstanding job. The direction which was made by Fatih Akin was very good and he succeeded on presenting a very important subject through this movie. Finally, I have to say that I recommend everyone to watch this movie because the script is well written, it's very interesting and it has much of suspense.

Fatih Akin, the writer and director of Aus dem nichts (lit. Trans. From Nothing) is a political individual; he makes political films and he makes political statements in his personal life. Akin identifies as a German-Turk; he was born in Hamburg, but his parents are both Turkish, having come to Germany with the first wave of Turkish immigrants following the Wirtschaftswunder of the fifties and sixties. He lives and works in Germany, and although almost all of his films are set there (the notable exception is The Cut (2014)), and all have German-funding, he considers himself a Turkish filmmaker. When he won Best Screenplay for Auf der anderen Seite (2007) at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, he accepted the award "on behalf of Turkish cinema." Easily the best known/most notorious of his political statements, however, was in 2006 when he was photographed wearing a t-shirt with the word "BUSH" on it, but with the "S" replaced by a swastika. Displaying a swastika in public is against the law in Germany, and after a complaint was made, he was investigated (but not charged) by German police. He later defended the shirt, stating "Bush's policy is comparable with that of the Third Reich. I think that under Bush, Hollywood has been making certain films at the request of the Pentagon to normalise things like torture and Guantánamo. I'm convinced the Bush administration wants a third world war. I think they're fascists [...] You can apply irony to something like that. You can redefine the symbol in a politically correct horizon. My T-shirt is more than mere provocation. You have to look into the context. The swastika is not there on its own, but as part of the word 'BUSH.' One would have to be pretty stupid, not to understand that." In short, this is not a guy afraid to speak his mind.

Akin's main political preoccupation in his filmography, however, is not Nazism or American presidents, it's the experience of Turkish immigrants in Germany, specifically the racism often directed towards them.

So, with that in mind, Nichts (co-written with Hark Bohm) doesn't jump off the page as a typical Akin film - when former convicted drug dealer Nuri Sekerci (Numan Acar) and his son are killed in a bomb blast at his office, his wife Katja (Diane Kruger) has faith that the police and courts will find and punish those responsible. However, as Katja finds herself becoming more and more disillusioned with the systems which are supposed to be on her side, she comes to believe she must take things into her own hands. Read like that, this could be any number of bad Hollywood movies (the wonderfully risible Law Abiding Citizen (2009) springs to mind). However, when we include the fact that Nuri is Turkish, and that the police quickly come to suspect the bombing may have been connected to a Neo-Nazi group, it fits much more comfortably into his oeuvre. Unfortunately, it's not very good.

First of all, the film is rigidly divided into an intentionally artificial three-act structure, with each act given its own title ("The Family", "The Trial", and "The Sea") and introduction by way of home-movie footage. One of the most significant problems with the film is that the acts simply don't yoke. The first is a pretty decent study of grief, the second is a rather dull courtroom drama, and the third is a bizarrely hollow (and irritatingly repetitive) investigation into the morality of revenge. The last act mirrors the first in its use of slow pacing, long shots of people not doing very much, and sparse dialogue (as opposed to the very wordy second act), and while this is interesting in setting the narrative up in the first act, it falls flat in the third, as the whole thing ends up coming across as rather po-faced and self-important; a film convinced of its own profundity. For all that, however, up until the conclusion, I was thinking I would give it a six; it's entertaining enough, in a fairly disposable way. But then the bottom falls out. The last scene itself is actually pretty good. It's what happens next that irritated me.

This has not been an especially political film - the Neo-Nazi storyline barely features; a few mentions by police in the first act, a single scene in the second, and a couple of short scenes in the third. That's it. As Katja is the only character who is really given any degree of agency, the Neo-Nazi characters are little more than background extras (in fact, in some scenes, they are literally background extras). So this is not a film which spends a lot of time delving into issues of racism in Germany or offering insight into the rise of Right-Wing Populism across Europe. It's a revenge drama. However, as it ends, a legend appears on-screen informing the audience how many race crimes are committed against Turks in Germany each year. The film has absolutely not, by any stretch of the imagination, earned the right to preach to the audience in this way. It's almost as if Akin forgot he was trying to make something political, only remembering in time to throw together a vaguely worded statement on the sufferings of his people in an effort to give the audience something to think about. It doesn't work, with the statement serving only to trivialise the issue by trying to tie it to a film in which it barely featured, and it leaves a decidedly bitter aftertaste.

This film is engaging throughout, especially given its subject matter. I really feel Katja's pain. The court room drama is intense, and the ending is even more intense and unexpected.

Hello, This movie is about justice, sometimes we see right judge, and sometimes do wrong. For me i didnot like last min, but it would happened. During this film, you will see different persons whom are loosers, different kinds, someone accepts it, but some others wont. There is a negative response between people, and if someone falls, no one helps him to stand again. They just go down, deep and deeper. But it is true and acceptable. It depends on our families, friends, and how much they like us. I do not explain more, and just suggest everyone to see this movie. There is a good screenplay, very nice actress. So this film could shine much more,... so i start following , the actress, the director, and the writer. I hope i can see much more movies from them,... Have fun.

"In the Fade" (2017 release from Germany; 106 min.; original title "Aus dem Nichts" or "From Nothing") brings the story of Katja. As the movie opens, we see Katja marrying her Turkish boyfriend Nuri in a quickie prison wedding. We then move to today, where Katja and Nuri have a 6 year old son Rocco, living happily in Hamburg. One day, Katja drops off Rocco at Nuri's office, while Katja meets up with a pregnant girlfriend for a ladies day out. Upon returning, the street of Nuri's office is blocked off, and before we know it, we realize that a bomb explosion has killed Nuri and Rocco. Who has done this? and why? At this point we are 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is latest movie from German (and of Turkish decent) writer-director Fatih Akin, Here he examines the aftermath of a brutal bombing, leaving a woman to cope with inconceivable grief, while wondering whether the bombers will be caught. The movie comes in several chapters (I.The Family II.Justice, etc.). The movie stands or falls with the performance by Diane Kruger, an American-German actress here taking on her first German-speaking role. Kruger is nothing short of phenomenal as the grieving and then angry widow. The movie is bound to create and stimulate discussion with its controversial ending (biting lips--I shan't say more!). I have no idea why the US release is done as "In the Fade" (what does that mean anyway?), rather than a literal translation of the original German title "From Nothing". Diane Kruger won Best Actress for that at last year's Canned Film Festival (where it premiered), and the movie won this year's Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, yet inexplicably this didn't even score a Best Oscar nomination (let alone win)...

I saw "Aus dem Nichts" this past weekend at the Gateway Film Center in Columbus, OH. The Sunday early evening screening where I saw this at (the evening of the Oscar ceremonies) was attended nicely (about half the auditorium). While the movie isn't without fault and some may argue that the last third stretches credibility, I nevertheless found this a very much worthwhile movie, and I'd readily recommend you seek this out, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

A perfect harsh and sad film on unfairness, bigotry, prejudice, racism, pain. The movie builds the story very well and it makes you suffer, as you feel what humankind is supposed to feel in situations like that. What a beautiful family!

The camera work and direction were quite uninspiring. Often the angles were poorly chosen and the decision to use natural light meant that the film was not always successful at evoking the right mood.

I thought it would be an action packed revenge flick but it turned out to be a clumsy courtroom drama that needed vigilante justice to balance the scales. Despite a good performance by Diance Kruger, the movie just did not have much of an edge. The arguments presented in court for instance lacked punch and the decision that was reached was actually kind of dumb.

Film production was clearly on a tight budget. As far as I can tell, they did not build any elaborate sets. But filming in multiple locations is expensive as the crew and equipment has to be moved around and housed. If you are going to spend the money, then it is really important to have a deep conception of the movie before you try to realize the material. In the Fade just did not have that clarity of vision. The result is a little rough and somewhat unsatisfying.

"Aus dem Nichts" is a great movie, partly based on real events.

In its core it's tearing the viewer apart between justice and misery. Great performances from Diane Krueger but also the rest of the cast create a picture that allows the viewer to feel the pain that is portrayed in this picture. Thus, a dramatic and emotional picture is created.

The movie felt very real and close to the audience, since a setting is created that we all can relate to in a certain way.

As the movie takes rather unpredictable turns it leaves the viewer behind in disbelieve that this movie is based on real events.

If you are looking for a great German movie, that is moving and irascible, you're good to go.

In the Fade is a German crime thriller based on the real events that took place at the 2004 Cologne terrorist bombing, but not necessarily beholden to the details of the tragedy. It stars Diane Kruger as a grieving mother who is trying to come to grips with the shocking deaths of her husband and young son, at the hands of Neo-Nazi's. It's with her performance that the film is carried through, as she more than proves that sticking her as a side character and a love interest in American films is more than a missed opportunity. It's weird to think she didn't blow up more after Inglourious Basterds, alas, In the Fade hopefully gives her more of a chance to lead more films. Essentially In the Fade comes down to a 3 act structure, in a literal sense. The terrorist attack, the courtroom scenes, and Kruger's revenge. Whether or not that works is up to you. I found there to be a lot to love about the real human drama here, and the last 15 minutes or so is quite thrilling. Not everything fits perfectly however, as crime-drama-thrillers go, this is one of the better ones.

7.9/10

Fatih Akin doesn't need to prove he knows how to direct or that he is a capable director. But if you need another example here it is. One might say he gets back to his roots or rather his first film somewhat with this. But with the spin that he concentrates on the female perspective. You could also argue that the male might come from that world he created with his first movie (which some may argue is his "Mean Streets" - except he didn't stay in that genre).

Diane Kruger is really exceptional in this and very close to real life. So you won't see any over the top and unbelievable stuff happening here. And it all leads to an ending that will either satisfy you or leave quite empty and maybe annoyed. It is tough to please everyone of course, but if you like slow burning drama with thriller elements in it, this is really good. Devastating and painful, but good ...

This is a solid drama about a woman who has to confront a sudden death of her close ones. There are two things that really prevent me from giving this movie anything more than 5 stars. One is the topic of the movie. If the movie was shot 7 years ago, I wouldn't even think about it, but in a current geopolitical context the subject of the movie makes you wonder. The other thing is the camera work. I almost left the cinema, it was that annoying. I don't like shaky cam as a concept, I think it destroys immersion, as we are constantly reminded there is a camera, and also is simply annoying. It's not such a big problem if the scenes being shot are dynamic and full of movement themselves, because you don't see it that much, but when you look at the scene where two people sign some papers and the camera is shaking all over the place, you can't help but notice it. There is plenty of good shots in this movie, plentu of creative ones and plenty of interesting ones, so I really cannot understand, how a director with such a good eye decided to use this cheap effect. Do not do this. It looks amateurish and takes away from the movie. That being said, all thos interesting shots... Maybe this is a problem? That the director/camera man was to creative and tried to cram as many shooting technics as possible? I realized just now that some of the shots were one off, they appeared only once not to come back in any other part of the movie and so they stand out. It would reinforce the idea, that they could not say to themselfs that's enough and just put there everything they could think about.