Review of '4 Minutes'

A German film about a young lesbian woman in prison for a violent crime (which we learn later she didn't really commit) who was sexually abused by her father, who also wanted her to be a concert pianist. An old woman on the staff of the prison wants to coach her to take part in a piano competition; the prisoner reluctantly agrees, but has to practice in handcuffs because of an act of violence against one of the guards.

Relentlessly depressing, with a Nazi prison camp back-story for the old woman (also a lesbian, who sees her Jewish lover executed). I wonder what we'll do for gravitas when it's no longer plausible for contemporary film characters to have had direct experience of Nazi camps?

Not a bad film though, with good acting, enough tension and drama (because it's not Hollywood we don't know whether it will have a happy ending) and lots of dark cinematography.