Fugitive Pieces

With impressive, moving and exquisitely framed moments of silence and reflection, but awkwardly staged and emotionally distancing sequences of action, Fugitive Pieces is a mixed bag, succeeding when characters are left to cogitate on their own but struggling when they interact. Much of this comes from Podeswa’s interest in maintaining a focus on the persistence of memory and a tangible human connectivity with the objects and sensations around them rather than the impact they have on one another. Character trajectory stems from the past, much like it does from life, but continuing development comes only through exposition in Fugitive Pieces, leaving the audience to derive cinematic pleasure from ideas and feelings but not dramatic ire. This is understandable given that the film, which is based on Anne Michaels’ novel of the same name, explores the after-effects that losing his entire family to Nazi’s during WWII has on Jakob Beer (Stephen Dillane). The memories and ghosts of the past, which overwhelm his ability to socialize and connect with those around him in a progressive manner, plague his daily life, ultimately damaging his relationship with girlfriend Alex (Rosamund Pike). It is really only Athos (Rade Serbedzija), the kind-hearted Greek man who rescued him from Nazi occupied Poland, that Jakob can connect with. Nevertheless, through writing about and exploring the past, and finding a true emotional connection with Michaela (Ayelet Zurer), a museum curator who travels with him to Greece, he hesitantly finds a way to escape the confines of tragedy and live a life outside of it. The lesson learned here is that life will only allow a person to move on from a difficult past once they allow themselves to. The DVD release includes commentaries from both Jeremy Podeswa and Anne Michaels, which are two entirely different experiences, as Michaels makes only occasional comments in relation to Podeswa’s interpretation of the novel, while Podeswa discusses absolutely everything, from casting to shot analysis to thematic intentions. Also included are deleted scenes with commentary.