Bones and Names [Knochen und Namen] *** (2023, Fabian Stumm in his feature directorial debut, starring himself along with Knut Berger, Marie-Lou Sellem, Susie Meyer) – Classic Movie Review 13,267

Fabian Stumm and Knut Berger star in the 2023 German drama film Bones and Names as actor Boris and writer Jonathan, whose quietly understated relationship is strained to near breaking point after eight years together.

The 2023 German drama film Bones and Names [Knochen und Namen] is written and directed by Fabian Stumm in his feature directorial debut. Stumm also stars along with Knut Berger, Marie-Lou Sellem and Susie Meyer. This very personal film explores distance and closeness in relationships with wit and intelligence.

Fabian Stumm and Knut Berger star as Boris and Jonathan, whose quietly understated relationship is strained to near breaking point after eight years together. Boris is an actor who begins to confuse work and reality and Jonathan is a writer challenged to face his various fears, mainly of death. Boris is getting closer to his younger colleague Tim (Magnus Mariuson) and Jonathan is completely absorbed in writing a new novel. Their seemingly rock-solid partnership turns out to be surprisingly and unexpectedly vulnerable. They just didn’t see the crisis coming. And that makes coping with it tricky – if they can.

Bones and Names (2023) is doomy and gloomy, cool, sometimes chilly, thoughtful and thought-provoking, with two entirely credible, layered main performances in difficult, quite alienating roles, and a scary one from Marie-Lou Sellem, the woman playing the domineering French film director Jeanne sadistically rehearsing actor Boris in her film (though these scenes are the most fascinating in the film).

It is a unique, rich and strange film, some of it so subtle and peculiar that it is hard to understand, some of it straightforward and clear. The changing ambiguities of the men’s relationship are well and convincingly charted. It is very credible and draws you in.

It feels a very personal film, not at all comfortable, but there is plenty of wit and intelligence on show, and plenty of ambiguity and subtlety too. The film is a long way from likeable, but I liked it. The same is true of the characters, although you might give them a wide berth in real life. They are interesting company here, though, for an hour and three quarters.

Ah, yes, Bones and Names, that’s all we are, all we have, mmm.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,267

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