The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)

Cautiously Recommended

Germany/France/Czech Republic/Morocco

Feature Film

Original Title: Der Baader Meinhof Komplex

Director: Uli Edel

Writers: Stefan Aust, Uli Edel, Bernd Eichinger

Cinematographer: Rainer Klausmann

Composer: Peter Hinderthür, Florian Tessloff

Cast: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, Nadja Uhl, Stipe Erceg, Niels-Bruno Schmidt, Vinzenz Kiefer

Ethical concerns aside (should real killings be recreated in a thriller format?), this epic, fact-based story – relating the events that led to the downfall of the founder members of the West German far-left terrorist group the Red Army Faction, during the 1970s – proves to be a tad too slick for its own good, with more attention reserved for the events than for the people themselves; but it is generally well made and acted, non the less, and holds the attention. Iain.Stott