Grimm Love
On September 19th, 1998 in Germany, Oliver Hartwin contacted Simon Grombeck over the Internet. Ten days later, the two met face-to-face and 12 hours after that, Simon Grombeck was dead. Thus is the framework for the downright chilling Grimm Love, a story about two lonely souls going to unimaginable lengths to connect with each other.
The film, structured with familiar echoes of "Silence Of The Lambs," is a true story about cannibalism that shocked Germany back in 1998. This recount is narrated throughout by Katie Armstrong (Keri Russell, in a Clarice Starling-esque role), a college student doing a thesis on the crime. She attempts to illustrate the backgrounds of these two troubled individuals, and ultimately what led them to each other that fateful night.
Told through a majority of flashbacks, director Martin Weisz ("The Hills Have Eyes II") and first-time writer T.S. Faull portray the two men dysfunctional upbringings. Simon’s mother caught him being sexual with another boy when he was at a very young age. She became devastated and soon after, drove herself into a tree. Simon never was able forgive himself for the suicide and couldn’t find solace in his father, a figure who was never prominent in his life. Oliver had a picture of early family life that Norman Bates could embrace. After Oliver’s father abandoned his mother at a young age, she became obsessively co-dependant on him for every single need. As a result, Oliver became a prisoner in his own him, never forming any outside relationships.
As Katie revisits the homes of the two men to see exactly how they lived, the flashbacks in the film progress. Now in their thirties, both men have begun to adopt sadistic tendencies. Simon, now with a supportive and caring lover, sneaks off for adulterous kinky sex in which he requests his penis bitten. Oliver, on the other hand, suffers the loss of his mother, and completely alone, starts to develop cannibalistic urges. Eventually, both men’s sick fantasies lead them to seek an anonymous outlet online, where they connect with each other, and eventually meet in-the-flesh.
"Grimm Love" could have been a bloody exploitation flick or some kind of torture porn on the level of "Hostel" or "Saw." However, this is far from it. Weisz does show some onscreen violence, but most of it happens off-camera. This is a good thing, because with the incredible tension he builds leading up to the climactic final minutes, anything extreme would have been unwatchable.
Visually, he and cinematographer Jonathan Sela create a dark and beautiful palate on which the film rests. Even more importantly, Weisz and Faull have fashioned a love story, believe it or not, and the film is classier for it. There is no doubt that these two individuals truly were meant for each in some tragic way. The connection they experienced was one of completion, and the filmmakers want to convey that notion overall.
The acting is basically a two-man show and is excellent across the board. Thomas Kretschmann and Thomas Huber completely dive into their characters, and for these 90 minutes you may just forget you are even watching a movie. Russell is the weak link, though. She is necessary as a narrative device and to connect flashbacks and information, but her character offers nothing and in the end is superfluous.
In that "Grimm Love" is a story about a man who willingly allowed himself to be eaten alive, it certainly won’t be everyone’s glass of Chianti. However, if you’re a fan of horror movies, psychological thrillers, or even dark character studies, this daring and well-made film is worth a look.
Grimm Love, playing at the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival:
Saturday, July 12 @ 12:30 PM at the Prince Music Theater
Monday, July 21 @ 9:15 PM at the Prince Music Theater
More info: http://www.phillyfests.com/piglff/2008/home.cfm
