Colonia

I saw this movie before, maybe 8 years ago. Since then, for whatever strange reason, every time I make coffee in the morning, I remember it. Some pavlovian reflex I can't explain. So finally I decided to rewatch it and remind myself; and while there is a coffee scene at the beginning, that's it. How very odd. It's a good film, somewhat let down by kinda weird and stiff acting by both Emma Watson and Daniel Brühl, the latter of which is an otherwise good actor, so I can only assume it's some directorial mishap. The story is otherwise quite tight — it gives a good impression of the day of the coup in Chile in 1973, when the CIA-backed Pinochet overthrew Salvador Allende's democratically elected socialist government and installed a fascist dictatorship for over a decade, and thousands died. Never forget that when you think what Trump is doing is horrible, don't worry, America has always been horrible to the bones (hi ICE if you're reading this). As someone who's grandparents were directly affected, it's something that will forever cast a shadow over who I am. The main portion of the film is about Colonia Dignidad, a real place where hundreds were enslaved and murdered over 40 years by a fanatic religious paedophile rapist zealot, and who got away with it for 40+ years. It's generally a sad movie. It's not particularly hard to watch, it's quite accessible, but that actually keeps it somewhat believable, and there was certainly tension with Emma and Daniel's Colonia experience.