Meine Frau weint (My Wife Cries)

The opening shot alone makes My Wife Cries an absolute must-see. For eight minutes, we watch crane operator Thomas as he fiddles with his phone and talks to other characters who remain out of the camera’s view. Fortunately, what follows is just as worthwhile. Thomas is called to his inconsolable wife, Sonja. Bit by bit, she tells him that her dance partner has been killed in an accident. It is then that it begins to dawn on Thomas. German director Angela Schanelec steers well clear of melodrama. With plenty of silences and a keen sense of nuance, she explores the relationship between Thomas and Sonja: love, guilt and the inability to truly connect with another person are key themes. And whilst there’s quite a lot of talking, how much is actually being said? Because language often seems to fall short. A restrained, yet no less moving, relationship drama featuring a surprising cameo for Leonard Cohen’s “Lover, Lover, Lover”.