Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Jonathan is a drama about a young man taking care of his dying father.
Although Jonathan (Jannis Niewöhner) has always been curious about his mother, who died when he was a baby, his father, Burkhard (André Hennicke), has always refused to talk about her. Even now, at the end of his life, Burkhard won’t do it. The only other person who knew her when she was alive is Jonathan’s surly aunt, Martha (Barbara Auer), but even she will not tell him anything about her. Nor will she explain what happened that caused her to stop speaking to Burkhard, who is her brother.
When a young nurse, Anka (Julia Koschitz), is hired to care for Burkhard, Jonathan takes notice of her. While tending to Burkhard, Anka begins talking to Jonathan. Having worked with many dying patients, she understands what Jonathan is going through, and he finds solace in the time they spend together. Everything is going well until a man from the past, Ron (Thomas Sarbacher), comes to visit Burkhard. And with Ron’s arrival comes the truth about Burkhard, Jonathan’s mother, and the reason Martha won’t speak to her brother.
Some Thoughts:
Jonathan is a film about lies and family secrets. Because it doesn’t focus on Burkhard as much as Jonathan, it doesn’t always feel like a gay movie. However, Burkhard’s sexuality is the underlying reason for the drama.
Writer/Director Piotr J. Lewandowski has a way with visual storytelling that makes the story compelling and easy to digest. Everything about it feels natural, from the dialog to the beautifully filmed country setting. These are people who live away from urban life, which makes the story feel possible.
There’s plenty of chemistry between Niewöhner and Koschitz. Koschitz infuses Anka with playful a sensuality while keeping her grounded. Anka’s profession gives her a deep understanding of people and how they cope with death. Because of this, it’s easy to see how Jonathan would feel comforted by her.
While the film has an emotional payoff that makes it worth seeing, we never get a full sense of Jonathan’s need to know about his mother. Aside from asking his father and Martha about her, we never get a sense of his past actions to get information about her. It’s not a big deal, but it does give a sense that something is missing.
The Final Verdict:
Jonathan is a wonderfully crafted film about the tolls of keeping secrets. Everything about it, from the acting to the pacing, are well done.