Sommer '04 an der Schlei (2006)

English titles: Summer '04; Summer of '04.

A 12 year old girl (Livia) is spending the summer with her boyfriend (Nils) at his parents' house in Germany while her own parents are vacationing in Mexico. Nils' father owns several sailboats and they go boating often. They meet a 30-something man (Bill) with whom Livia becomes friends.

Interesting film which engenders some complex and interesting situations in its first hour or so; the consequences of these situations are shown only in the superficial events which drive the final third of the film, and thus much is left to the viewer's imagination in regards to characters' motivations and feelings. A novel would clearly be the most appropriate medium for a thorough analysis of these psychological aspects. As it is, it's hard to know whether the ending is going for melodramatic pathos or whether the screenwriter is mocking his despicable characters.

Rating: 59