The Free Will

The Free Will

24/8/2006 2h 43m 6.9/10

Overview

After nine years in psychiatric detention Theo, who has brutally assaulted and raped three women, is released. Living in a supervised community, he connects well with his social worker Sascha, finds a job at a print shop and even a girlfriend, Nettie, his principal's brittle and estranged daughter. But even though superficially everything seems to work out Theo's seething rage remains ready to erupt.

Director

Matthias Glasner

Top Billed Cast

Manfred Zapatka

Manfred Zapatka

Nettie's father

André Hennicke

André Hennicke

Sascha

Jürgen Vogel

Jürgen Vogel

Theo

Sabine Timoteo

Sabine Timoteo

Nettie

Judith Engel

Judith Engel

Anja Schattschneider

Maya Bothe

Maya Bothe

Sybille

Reviews

cineast78

11/12/2024

8/10

**Courage to Tell Without Judging** For those who can engage with a story where the creators have the courage to depict people without dividing their actions into what they "should" or "should not" do, without constantly playing the role of judge, and instead focusing on the subjective experience of these individuals, this film comes highly recommended. It is not a "beautiful" film. There are no simple answers. But the emotions and experiences of the people involved are portrayed in a way that is intense, unfiltered, and realistic. So honest and raw that it hurts. For everyone else, colorful Disney films are recommended. In those, there is always a "good" and a "bad," and everyone gets what they deserve according to the unrelenting moral judgment of the story. Sadly, the reviews from the "morally superior" will likely be just as negative for Glasner's new film, as "grace" in their view is only reserved for the "good" ones...

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