"I tell the stories of people I've defended. They were murderers, drug dealers, bank robbers, and prostitutes. They all had their stories, and they weren't so different from us. All our lives we dance on a thin layer of ice; it's very cold underneath, and death is quick. The ice won't bear the weight of some people and they fall through. That's the moment that interests me." Ferdinand von Schirach

Schirach is a German criminal defense lawyer and writer. Critics have called his style "cinematic" and his work is currently a hot commodity in the television and film industry. In 2019, a feature adaptation of his novel "The Collini Case" was released. It is available on Amazon Prime although I watched the DVD.

Schirach's writing is clean, almost clinical in the way he describes human behavior. I was apprehensive, then, watching the opening scenes of "The Collini Case." There is so much music that I thought the story might become overwrought. As the movie progresses, however, the music becomes more subdued and allows the characters and the increasingly complex storyline to stand on their own.

Franco Nero plays Fabrizio Collini, an elderly man who inexplicably commits murder and then refuses to cooperate in his own defense. Caspar Leinen (Elyas M'Barak), an inexperienced attorney assigned to the case, is shocked when he learns the identity of the victim; a wealthy industrialist who helped raise and mentor Caspar. Adhering to his legal oaths, he decides to stick with the case. Through a series of flashbacks, we discover the connections between the characters and the lasting, and destructive, impact of war. "The Collini Case" is an excellent courtroom drama enhanced by writer Schirach's experience with the law. Despite the decades Schirach has spent immersed in criminal cases, he remains optimistic about the potential for human beings to behave in an altruistic manner. The final moments of "The Collini Case" reflect that optimism.

Another drama with historical and political overtones debuts today via streaming. "Luxor" stars Andrea Riseborough as a British aid worker. During a stay in Egypt, processing her traumatic experiences, she rekindles a romance with a former lover. The film is written and directed by Zeina Durra. "Luxor" is available on Amazon Prime and Fandango.

Here's the latest article from the Drama Movies site at BellaOnline.com.

Conscience Point Film Review
Some of the most expensive real estate in America sits atop land stolen from the Shinnecock Nation in 1859. Do they still have rights to the land? Treva Wurmfeld explores the issue in her documentary "Conscience Point".

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art307496.asp

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Angela K. Peterson, Drama Movies Editor
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