Built upon a fascinating temporal/cognitive dissonance that works well, but the narrative is painfully dull and the characters taciturn

Although the film ostensibly tells a story about 1940s Europe, its focus on refugees and its pseudo-modern setting mean that it also acts as something of a "state of the nation" address for Europe in 2019. In particular, it speculates as to what could happen in the not too distant future, given the rise of militant anti-immigration rhetoric and neo-fascist political ideology. The film doesn't so much suggest that history is repeating itself, as postulate that there's no historical difference between then and now. Unfortunately, aside from this daring aesthetic gambit, not much else worked for me, with the plot painfully somnolent and the characters void of virtually any relatable emotion.

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