Valeska Grisebach’s documentary background is readily evident in this unaffected story, which brings
a little everyday poetry to an essentially novelettish plot. Everything feels authentic, from the atmosphere of the small town outside Berlin to the passion that volunteer fireman Andreas Müller feels for both his devoted wife, Ilka Welz, and Anett Dornbusch, the lonely waitress he met during a training weekend.
The simplicity of Müller’s exchanges with both women brings a real poignancy to what could easily have been a rather sordid situation. Moreover, Grisebach explores momentous themes like fate, fidelity and frailty with an estimable sense of discretion.