Review of Wetlands (2013) by Frank N — 06 Oct 2014

18-year old Helen Memel (Carla Juri) likes to use vegetables for masturbation and believes that body hygiene is considered as too important in our society. She provokes others by saying and doing things most people would not even dare to imagine. Helen's parents are divorced and she wishes desperately that they come back together. But her mother is depressive, hygiene-obsessed and mentally unstable, and her father is a very insensitive man who seems not to take notice of what people around him think and feel. Helen often seems to be very alone and feels unloved in the world. Only her best friend Corinna makes her feel more comfortable and together with her, she breaks many taboos of society. By shaving her anal hair too fast, she cuts herself badly and needs to go to hospital. There she plans to get her parents back together and while she does that she charms as well her handsome nurse Robin. When she learns that her surgery, which included the removal of haemorrhoids, has been successful and she is going to be released soon, she desperately looks for means to prolong her hospital stay...

"Wetlands" ("Feuchtgebiete") carries likenesses with "Trainspotting" in its narrative, cinematography and grossness. I´m normally not queasy, but "Wetlands" push several buttons when going full on gross with all sorts of bodily fluids. This is not for the one with a weak stomach. But, this is as well so freeing to see a movie that really does dare to go full on in its nudeness and grossness. Scott Foundas of Variety, said in his review that "Director David Wnendt and breakout star Carla Juri leave no bodily orifice unexplored in this spiky, smartly packaged commercial enterprise." Boyd van Hoeij in his review for The Hollywood Reporter called the film "A poppy take on boundary-pushing sexual matters featuring a stellar breakthrough performance." And yes, you will not forget the performance of the quite charming Carla Juri and her full frontal acting. The personal hygiene issues is however just one topic explored in the film, while the main pillar in my point of view is the dysfunctional family and the difficulties that goes along with that. A different movie that will never leave your mind once you have seen it.