Michael (2011)

Five months in the life of a pedophile who keeps a 10-year-old boy locked in his basement.

Directors:

Markus Schleinzer, Kathrin Resetarits (co-director)

Writer:

Markus Schleinzer

Stars:

Michael Fuith, David Rauchenberger, Christine Kain

6 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Fuith	...	Michael
David Rauchenberger	...	Wolfgang
Christine Kain	...	Mutter
Ursula Strauss	...	Schwester
Victor Tremmel	...	Schwager
Xaver Winkler	...	Neffe
Thomas Pfalzmann	...	Neffe
Gisela Salcher	...	Christa
Isolde Wagner	...	Bürokollegin 1
Markus Hochholdinger	...	Kollege Kantine
Susanne Rachler	...	Bürokollegin 2
David Oberkogler	...	Mag. Ehrnsberger
Katrin Thurm	...	Bürokollegin 3
Martin Schwehla	...	Bürokollege
Olivier Beaurepaire	...	Mann Begegnung Tierpark

Storyline

Five months in the life of a pedophile who keeps a 10-year-old boy locked in his basement.

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Plot Keywords:

pedophile | pedophilia | child abuse | child molestation | 10 year old | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [de, en, fr] Official site [Hungary]

Country:

Austria

Language:

German

Release Date:

15 February 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Michael: crónica de una obsesión

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,366, 19 February 2012, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$15,151, 20 May 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First film directed by known casting director Markus Schleinzer.

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Connections

References Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

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Soundtracks

Drown Your Tears in Wine
Written by Iris, Hans Michael Fink
Performed by Hans Michael Fink, Markus Münzenrieder, Wolfgang Scheiblhofer, Philipp Tröstner, Michael Fink
Mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Iris

User Reviews

A convincing portrait of evil as the absence of empathy

Loosely based on a horrific true story of an Austrian man who kept a girl in his cellar for the best part of two decades, 'Michael' is a film I avoided watching for a long time in part because I feared it would simply prove too unpleasant. In fact, it's watchable and (mostly) understated: its (fictional) villain less a pure monster, more just an isolated person who decides to set up their own life the way they want to, and to keep a child as one would keep a pet. Even then, his incapacity for emotion (towards the child, or indeed, for anybody else) is striking, which partly explains his appalling actions. I don't know how the details of this story reflect on the actual tale; but it seems a believable portrait of how someone could come to act in this way. The film is low budget: some of the scenes may be shot as they are to save filming them more expensively, although the advantage is that the audience is encouraged to concentrate on what matters, not some lush background. The ending is premature disappointing dramatically but what's more interesting is how much I cared to see what happened next: 'Michael' might not literally be docu-drama, but it convinces as a portrait of evil as the absence of empathy.