Review of Zurich

Zurich (2013)
8/10
The last great journey
6 June 2015
This difficult subject was treated in France the precedent year:in "Quelques Heures De Printemps" ,starring Vincent Lindon and Hélène Vincent ,a terminally -ill (brain tumor) woman chooses assisted suicide in Switzerland....

.....as does Lea in " Und Morgen Mittag Bin Ich Tot";but there is a big difference between the two works: in the French movie,it concerned a woman nearing seventy whereas this one tells the story of a Young girl (23) whose life has hardly begun."Quelques Heures De Printemps " ,although by no means an easy film to Watch, ended almost peacefully,as though the woman was relieved to lay her burden down.

Léa is not so self-assured ;she still clings to the tree of life,which makes sense when you are a pretty girl with a nice family (the grandma is particularly endearing;you may notice her "Bis Bald " (=see you soon),although there is absolutely no hint at religion and at life after life) and a legitimate desire to love and to be loved (sadly the male parts ,particularly the ambassador's son ,are the weakest link of the screenplay).We see her enjoy a ride (with splendid views of the lake at night ),and eat a Wiener Schnitzel ("my last one!" three simple words which hurt the viewer).

If you have seen "Quelques Heures De Printemps",you will compare the final sequences:as I wrote above ,in the 2012 movie,all happens ,so to speak, quickly;but we feel that Lea ,although living on borrowed time,could easily be persuaded to come back home ;in these sequences Bibliani Beglau ("Die Stille Nach Dem Schuss") ,provides remarkable support.

Liv Liza Fries will move you ,without falling into the trap of sentiment and self-pity;I would recommend this work ,but only for people with a strong heart;Lea's breath will haunt you long after the final cast and credits.
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