Victoria is the name of the girl the plot revolves around, but that isn’t enough to justify the banal title. It’s not the story of her life, just two hours and thirteen minutes of it. I can say that because the movie is shot in and presented as a single take. That means everything happens in real time, no cuts whatsoever, a marvelous feat rarely accomplished before in the history of pop cinema. Of course, it wouldn’t mean much without a story that’s at least interesting. This one is poignant and thoroughly engaging.

It helps a lot that Victoria, played by Laia Costa, is both cute and charming. It takes almost an hour for the plot; she’s on an escapade with a small group of guys she just met in Berlin; to kick into gear, but it’s never boring. That’s mostly because the characters, improvised from a general outline, don’t talk or act like they’re in a movie. Though the underlying theme of romantic attraction is cliché, thus disappointing, the charming chemistry between Victoria and one of the guys (Sonne) seems genuine.

Whether or not the potential couple would do in real life what they do during the second half of this movie is another question. It seems unlikely for the reasons given, especially for Victoria, who seems to have nothing to gain in comparison to the risks she takes. But the foolhardy personality she displays early on; the initial set-up suggests her naivety will lead to gang rape; makes it a realistic possibility. With that, you’re along for the ride as a suspenseful crime drama unfolds before your eyes.

my rating : 4 of 5

2015