Writer/director Maren Ade’s excellent Everyone Else is a well-observed depiction of a realistic relationship that skillfully combines awkwardness, sadness, and ambivalence with passion and joy.
The German import opens during a summer getaway at boyfriend Chris’ family vacation house. His sister has brought her kids, and at first glance, it’s almost a European approximation of a Norman Rockwell portrait. However, while lounging by the pool, his girlfriend teaches Chris’ niece phrases like “I detest you” that the child embraces with relish, hinting at darker things to come.
Ade’s beautifully realized and wonderfully shot scenes never hit a false note, slowly increasing in intensity until the couple arrives at a delightfully offbeat yet melancholy dénouement.
Read an interview with Ade, visit the film’s official website, meet star Birgit Minichmayr, and check out the New York Times review.
