sergepesic The darkness of deep recesses of human soul, the entrapment of fundamentalist religion,the repressed sexuality and much, much more. "Antibody", brilliant German crime drama tackles successfully all of these issues, without neglecting the pacing and suspense, the necessary ingredients for this genre. The director Christian Alvart, although only 31 when he made this movie, has a precise artistic credo and an eye of an old master. The rawness, blood and explicit sex combined with the carefully measured silence and powerful, understated acting, makes this masterpiece a standout in usual drivel associated with this popular genre.

Billy_Crash The first and second acts were solid, with great tension and conflict, but Act III faltered miserably and ultimately destroyed the story of the film and its impact. The acting and photography were amazing, and painted a strong tale of "doing the right thing", "revenge" and "maintaining one's beliefs". The three main characters represented the good (farmer), the evil (serial killer) and the one in the middle (city cop). Though the outrageous fall and escape of the serial killer from the police seemed a bit over the top, at least he was battered and cut-up pretty severely, so I let that go since the rest of the story, initially at least, was solid. But why did the serial killer wonder if his every word was being recorded? He was too smart to think otherwise and I found that notion to be completely unrealistic.But Act III unraveled quickly as if the writer lost his senses. Somehow, someway this killer, who had everything absconded by police, seemed to have 50,000 Euros stashed somewhere to bribe a police technician. That technician smuggled the killer's diary out to a publisher and he got the murderer an un-named poison that would kill him in two days.If that wasn't far-fetched, to see such poorly animated deer rally around the farmer and his son, as if a message from God, was ludicrous and took the story out of the hands of the characters. Deus ex machina is a pathetic ploy as well as a needless cliché.What a shame. It's as if all that tremendous acting, tension and phenomenal cinematography was wasted - annihilating a brutal and poignant story with trickery and absurdity.

Neil Turner This dark, dark thriller grabs you and won't let go.The film begins when two beat cops are called to an apartment house where screams have been heard. When they go to investigate, an all out firefight takes place between the criminal and the police. The criminal, Gabriel Engel, is caught and it is discovered that he is a serial killer for whom the police have been searching for a number of years. It is believed that he had raped, mutilated, and murdered thirteen boys and one girl. Engel readily admits to killing the boys, but claims that he did not murder the girl.The scene then shifts to the small, country hamlet where the girl was murdered. Michael Martens is a farmer and the part-time constable of the village, and he has raised the ire of the villagers by thinking that the murder had been committed by one of them. Martens' greatest detractor is his father-in-law - a man who would make Adolph Hitler shiver.Martens is a deeply religious and pious man with strong convictions. These personality traits do not endear him to his fellow citizens. His stance on the murder is causing a strain within his own family in addition to his problems with the villagers. His wife is cold, and his son - a friend of the murdered girl - is detached and having social and psychological problems. Even Martens' priest is disapproving shown by an emotion charged scene in church in which he withholds the Eucharist from Martens at communion while he gives a thinly veiled lecture to the congregation on the topic of trust and suspicion. All of Martens problems are enhanced when Engel is arrested and it is reported inaccurately in the press that he is responsible for the death of the girl.Engel is a highly intelligent and evil man and expresses desire to speak with Martens. Thus begins a battle of wills between good and evil. Engel professes not to have murdered the girl but claims to know the identity of the real murderer. It is clearly Engel's motive to destroy a very good man. During the ensuing confrontations and investigations, much is revealed about Martens and his will is severely challenged.Needless-to-say, the entire film is a religious allegory - after all, the two main characters are named Michael and Gabriel and they engage in an intense battle of wills.To disclose any more would certainly spoil the viewing enjoyment for anyone interested in this hypnotic film. If you are a fan of dark, chilling thrillers, I guarantee that, you too, will be glued to your seat while watching this extraordinary motion picture.

poe426 A strong hero is mandatory in this kind of movie; after all, no self-respecting serial killer would bother to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent... "Just believing in our innocence isn't enough," the put-upon, part-time policeman observes at one point. The killer, warming to his favorite subject (the rape and murder of little boys), says, of one young victim: "The boy was beautiful. A little angel of darkness." His contention that even kids can be criminally cruel (he recounts his own torture at the hands of others) is a deeply disturbing but profound observation. "Man was never a beast," a priest states matter-of-factly. Uh-huh. Check out ANTIBODIES and see for yourself.