The Writer's Life 2/21 - Oh, Doctor

Last night I watched a creepy thriller courtesy of Netflix. The German Doctor (2013), written, directed and produced by Lucia Puenzo, is a fictional account of Nazi monster Dr. Josef Mengele’s insinuation into an Argentine family that has inherited a remote resort hotel. At first he is interested in the undersized 12-year-old daughter, and convinces the mother, unbeknownst to the father, he can help the child grow through hormone therapy. When the woman becomes pregnant with twins, the bad doctor, notorious for his perverse work in that area, really becomes interested. I was reminded of the works of Alfred Hitchcock, not his flashier flicks like Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963) but his more sedate, grounded films such as Notorious (1946) and Vertigo (1958). The German Doctor dares to present its subject without bias, allowing the viewer to decide if Mengele is sincere in his efforts to help or merely continuing his despicable Nazi ways. Much of the suspense lies in wondering if things will end disastrously for the family. Mengele eluded capture, never paid for his crimes. He drowned off the coast of Brazil in 1979, was buried under a false name, and disinterred for DNA testing, which proved his identity. Puenzo, whose father Luis is a director, adapted the screenplay from her own novel, Wakolda, the name the young girl has given her doll. 3000+ users have rated the film at IMDb, forging to a consensus of 6.8 of ten, which seems about right. Although intelligent, it never rises above creepy and something seems to be missing. It runs about 90 minutes. It's subtitled in white letters on the letterbox screen, which is annoying given all the black space below it. Anyone bored by quiet drama should pass.

From my window I see someone brushing snow from a fifth floor apartment's fire escape. The person must be bored, as the precipitation is supposed to last into the evening hours. Fortunately, if the forecast is right, it will be only three inches, and the temperature tomorrow will be in the mid 40's, so it should all melt along with some of the frozen crap that's been clinging to the ground for weeks. Another day closer to spring.

My thanks to whomever purchased Kindle copies of Killing and Rising Star this week.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/