Bozeman Magazine

Bozeman Film Society is proud to join ASMSU Films, MSU Foreign Language Department and the MSU Office of International Programs to bring two critically acclaimed foreign films to MSU's Procrastinator Theater this November as part of the Can the Griz food drive, a fundraiser for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank. Screening on Wednesday, November 4th at 9 PM is the spellbinding mystery, Phoenix. A noir thriller of identity, illusion, and deception, Phoenix unfolds against the turmoil of post-World War II Germany. This stunning new film from acclaimed director Christian Petzold (Barbara, Jerichow) tells the story of Nelly (Nina Hoss), a German-Jewish nightclub singer who has survived a concentration camp, but with her face disfigured by a bullet wound. After reconstructive surgery, Nelly emerges with her face different enough that her former husband, Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld), doesn’t recognize her. Rather than reveal herself, Nelly walks into a dangerous game of duplicity and disguise as she tries to figure out if the man she loves may have been the one who betrayed her to the Nazis. Evoking the shadows and haunted mood of post-war Berlin, Phoenix weaves a complex tale of a nation’s tragedy and a woman’s search for answers as it builds towards an unforgettable, heart-stopping climax. Winner of Best Actress at Seattle International Film Festival, Nina Hoss’ performance is, according to The Guardian's Ryan Gilbey, “astonishing.” He calls the film, “A complex mystery of disguise and deceit.” Rotten Tomatoes scores this PG-13, 99 minute film (in German with English subtitles) a whopping 99 percent.