Netto

Robert Thalheim does something interesting in his film “Netto”—he teases the audience with familiar conventions and their expectations. An unhappily divorced husband, who fails in everything he touches, has a gun. We are shown the gun early on and are reminded periodically. Towards the end, when everything has fallen apart, the poor guy holstered the gun and goes to see his ex-wife. All the film viewing experiences tell us that violent is at the door and someone is going to get shot. Thalheim milks this till the very end. As the narrative is very sympathetic, I cannot help but hope that Thalheim will not take the easy and sensational road. This desire turns the whole experience to almost like watching a sports game. The tension is not in the narrative per se but between hope and expectation. I want my team (hope) to win but experience says the other team (expectation) is leading. Fortunately no one got kill and the poor guy found enough in himself and his relationship with his son that he left his gun behind. My team won but I am not sure my excitement complete cover over the otherwise very run of the mill film. Well, it is better than nothing, I guess.