THE SPARROW IN THE CHIMNEY
The final instalment of the celebrated “animal trilogy” by twins Ramon and Silvan Zürcher has arrived, showcasing their psychological acuity, sense of the absurd and meticulous formal control as they explore our true, wild and uncontrollable nature. A house on the outskirts of a Swiss village, a weekend in close quarters and a family in the midst of disintegration serve as the ingredients for an emancipating exorcism of these unchosen bonds, revealing their demons and dirty laundry. Mordant and tender, incendiary and comic, chaotic and choreographed, there is something of Bergman or Lynch in this domestic psychodrama, which won a Pingyao Festival award (sponsored by Jia Zhangke) and stars Maren Eggert (Best Actress in Berlin for The Perfect Man). Two days with the family can be too many, and too much.
