Monday, November 23, 2015

Cinema Clips: Victoria

Posted By on Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 11:30 AM


Director Sebastian Schipper and his cameraman pull off an amazing feat with this heist story shot in one, two hour plus take. Laia Costa plays the title character, a Spanish woman living in Berlin who meets a pack of guys while partying. Her loneliness leads to a fast, clingy relationship with Sonne (Frederick Lau), who is the most outspoken and charismatic of the group.

They wind up hanging out, and Victoria soon finds herself driving a getaway car in a heist, a hastily planned scheme with deadly consequences.

Cameraman Sturla Brandth Grovien allegedly got the movie shot in one long take on the third attempt. One sequence, where Costa lost her way during a driving sequence, is fun to watch because the panic in the cast’s voices is very real (They were deep into filming and almost had to start over). Schipper’s film isn’t just a technical achievement.

The movie is a compelling character study, and Costa is exceptional as Victoria (She delivers a piano performance that is extraordinary). It’s not the most original story, but the way it unwinds in one take contributes to the tension and results in something unique.