Yella

Although this much-lauded, multiple award-winning 2007 German slice of cinema is based upon the creepy classic Carnival of Souls (1962), it feels nothing like a horror or suspense movie, so proceed with caution. However, at a succinct 85 minutes and endowed with many excellent reviews, some might want to take this spiritual — albeit spiritless — journey.

Yella Frichte (Nina Hoss), an accountant, has a new job in Hanover, which promises to take her far from her depressed hometown and even further from her controlling and quietly obsessive ex-husband, Ben (Hinnerk Schönemann). It's a fresh start, and the mousy, frowny brunet can hardly wait to get away — but her elation is tempered when she accepts a ride to the airport from Ben. She is just hoping to sever the tie once and for all as they talk on the way, but it's not to be. Even though Yella makes it to Hanover sans Ben, he is still very much with her.

Haunted by her memories and struggling with her new position the male-dominated accounting biz, Yella ekes out a grey, meager, and completely joyless existence. Things go from blah to worse after the calculating chick loses her fancy new job thanks to the unstable international market — but not to worry: one of her colleagues, the attentive and pretentious blonde venture capitalist Philipp (Devid Striesow), offers her a career as his assistant.

As the commitment-shy Yella works side-by-side with Philipp on a daily basis, she begins to warm to the possibility of the two of them having more than just a business relationship, and sure enough, an uneasy romance blooms between the two. Enter the evil ex, and let the cat and mouse games begin.

In spite of some mysterious circumstances, Yella is directed perfunctorily and entirely without suspense or any sense of urgency by Christian Petzold. The allegory may be somewhat the same as Carnival of Souls, but this movie itself really is quite obviously meant to be seen as a sociopolitical platform to decry evolving Eurocentric economy and society; specifically to study the impact of Germany's two halves still struggling to merge 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Sterile, bleak and tedious, Petzold has expertly created the look and feel of a zombie-like world where no one can be happy. Unfortunately, it's a world I don't care to inhabit even vicariously, for 8 minutes, let alone 85.

Yella will be playing in New York City for a limited engagement at the Cinema Village on May 16, 2008.

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