Michael (Markus Shleinzer,2011): Austria

Reviewed by Angelica Silva. Viewed at AFI Fest 2011.

The film, Michael  was confusing. Director, Markus Schleinzer shot a lot of scenes where Michael (Michael Fuith) was doing very normal every day things which seemed to have no significance to the story.  I think the significance was that  Schleinzer did this to show how all of his friends and family saw him. Very normal. He was a normal guy who lived alone in the neighborhood.  But he had a deep, dark, twisted secret.

Michael had been keeping a 10 year old boy Wolfgang (David Rauchenberger) locked in his basement. He raped and sexually harasses the boy on the daily. The cliche pedophile would not keep the boy happy, and seem like he had a normal life. You think the boy would be kept captive. Not in this film. Michael kept the boy stocked on good food, toys and new furniture when needed. He played with him. Brought snowballs to fight with him.

The Wolfgang seems to be happy at some points. But he is very lonely. He thinks he is writing to his parents. Michael keeps getting the letters and keeping them in a box. Michael’s family asks him to come visit for Christmas. He refuses and states that she knows he likes to spend it alone. Michael buys Wofgang a gift and Wolfgang draws a picture for Michael.

Michael goes to a car race and sees some young boys, around ten years old. He immediately talks to them. Eventually, Michael ends up walking alone in a parking lot with the young boy. Plotting to kidnap and captivate the boy along with Wolfgang. He hears yelling from afar. The boys father is furious. He is yelling at the boy to come back and not to wander with strangers.  Michael is startled and walks a little faster as he failed to kidnap another innocent boy. He then comes back and talks to Wolfgang. He tells him he tried to find him a friend but then things changed. Wolfgang was very upset as he is lonely.

Michael leaves one day to go to a pharmacy and gets hit by a car. He ends up in a hospital and comes home a few days later. Wolfgang is waiting for him. He had a water boiler in the basement for his instant lunches. He boiled some water, put it into a bowl and waited.  When Michael came down to the basement to do what Wolfgang was there for, the boy throws the scolding water on Michaels face. Michael freaks out and manages to close the basement door locking the boy in the basement yet again. Michael tries driving to a hospital and ends up crashing his car. He dies instantly. His car was almost gone. His parents and family mourned his loss and plan to go to his house later that week. When his mother arrives, they show her unlocking and opening the basement door.

Then, the movie ends. The audience was left hanging, but satisfied.