For those not aware, I see a lot of movies. Two of the best movies I’ve seen in the last 10 years are by Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke.

The first is Caché. A French language film that channeled Hitchcock like nothing I’ve ever seen.

The second is Funny Games. The US version especially. Not for everyone, trust me, but a movie with a very strong message that violence shouldn’t be entertaining. It’s hard to see the message through all the violence.

Now comes the German The White Ribbon. Black & White. Subtitled. 2 hours and 24 minutes. Therefore: not for everybody. Honestly, this one didn’t really grab me the way I thought it would. It won the Palm d’Or at Cannes last year. It was also the only pick for the Oscars I didn’t get right. From what I hear, that shouldn’t have happened (it should have won).

I honestly had difficulty getting into it. It’s quite slow, and honestly, not suspenseful at all. I would love to refer to Haneke as the master of suspense for his other films, but this one was quite flat. That being said, it’s very eloquent. Extreme patience and meticulous composition remind me why Haneke is so damn good. Nothing is rushed. This movie takes its time. Maybe it wasn’t upbeat enough for me. But, I appreciate the near perfection of its craftsmanship. My advice? Go rent Caché, or Funny Games (preferably both).

One-line review: Very well done, but don’t watch it if you’re tired.

Consensus: 75/100