Watch Michael

‘Michael’ is an Austrian film which premiered in 2011 at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Markus Schleinzer, the movie follows the life of a pedophile in his forties, played by Michael Fuith. The film attempts to offer a disturbing view into the world of a pedophile, from his day-to-day activities to his relationships with children.

The opening scene finds Michael locking a young boy in a soundproof basement with a bed, TV and toys, and bringing him food and clothing. This sets the tone for the rest of the film, which shows Michael engaging in such exploitative acts but also performing daily activities such as working in an insurance office, grocery shopping and visiting his parents.

The story gradually unfolds over the course of the film as Michael continually struggles to keep his pedophilic tendencies hidden from those around him, while balancing his "regular life" with his more sinister inclinations. This makes for a nerve-wracking and intense viewing experience, as audiences navigate their own thoughts and feelings whilst attempting to understand what drives Michael's disturbing behavior.

Throughout the course of the film, Michael lures more children into his basement in what seems like a regular and routine affair. His calmness and the mundane nature with which he goes about his activities make the viewer feel like the characters in the movie aren't quite aware of what is happening. But this is where the film makes us feel the most conflicted, as we begin to empathize with Michael’s almost lonely and mundane life, at the same time feeling disgusted and disturbed by his actions.

The director’s ability to make the audience feel things they may never have before is where this film excels. Schleinzer uses long, immobile camera shots, creating an eerie sense of being trapped within the movie - almost as if we were there with the characters.

The film's cinematography is one of its strengths, with attention paid to every detail, from the lighting to the color grading. The mise-en-scene is perfectly utilized to create an atmosphere of tension and unease, complemented by the excellent sound design. The choice of shooting the film with natural light wherever possible is a brilliant decision by the director to enhance its realism, but that also heightens its eeriness.

Despite the lack of explicit scenes of abuse or violence, Schleinzer manages to capture the horror of Michael’s activities, whilst making us compelled to keep watching. ‘Michael’ is a movie that is deeply psychological and laudably attempts to understand the psyche of a disturbed individual and comprehending the effects of the abuse on the victims in the aftermath.

David Rauchenberger who plays Michael’s colleague is fantastic in his role, and Christine Kain as Michael’s mother brings a sense of reality and compassion to the character. Michael Fuith excels as Michael, bringing his character to life in a way that is both haunting and eerily realistic.

Overall, the sheer quality of filmmaking at display in ‘Michael’ cannot be ignored. It’s a brave movie that treads where many fear to go, and does so with the utmost sensitivity and respect for the subject matter. This is not a movie that’s going to be comfortable for many, if not all viewers. However, if you are looking for a deeply unsettling and well-crafted movie that is not afraid to test the viewer’s boundaries, then ‘Michael’ is a movie for you - a cinematic masterpiece that gets under your skin and stays there.

Michael is a 2011 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 34 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.9 and a MetaScore of 64.