Karlovy Vary 2010: Julius Sevcik’s Normal

30-something year-old helmer Julius Sevcik divides his private and personal time between Los Angeles and the Czech Republic. Studying at both the New York Film Academy and on FAMU in Prague, the filmmaker managed to win film awards while still in school, yet for the time being most of his work has been for television. Normal marks his return to the big screen after a five year absence.

Based on actual events, this is an account of a serial killer’s murders, taking place in Düsseldorf, Germany circa 1929 to 1931. The film is told via the point of view of his lawyer, who is convinced that the killer shouldn’t be found guilty, as his actions clearly indicate that he is not “normal”, and therefore should be hospitalized. In the course of building the case, the lawyer begins questioning his own sanity, and eventually, the sanity of the whole German people on the eve of the the Nazis rise to power.
The script calls for this to be a small, humble drama, but Sevcik insists on making this into something bigger. Despite some sharp acting from the two lead actors (one of them would make for a great Hannibal Lecter), the slow-motion, pointless lighting changes and a blend of special effects distract from the core tale that is fairly rich and didn’t need the extra fluff.