Saw Phoenix last week, directed by Petzold with Nina Hoss. Released in Germany last year, in USA last month.
Story of a Holacaust survivor, a singer, who undergoes facial reconstruction due to traumatic injury, settles in ravaged Berlin with friend Lena who helps her through the surgery and makes plans for them to emigrate to Palestine. But Nellie has an other idea, to search for her lost husband Johnny, a musician, in the rabble of the city.
The movie's intro is a few seductive bars of Speak Low (Kurt Weill/Ogden Nash) bass and piano; the movie ends with the full version of the song. The lyrics and music capture the melancholy, haunting heart of the movie. I went home and searched for almost every version of this song from Nora Jones/Tony Bennett to Kiri te Kanawa, through all the jazz greats. Their versions were all good, but funny how the film versions so resonated and stays with me. As much as the film.
