Ghosts

The second in a trilogy of ghostly films from German director Christian Petzold (the others are 2000's The State I Am In and 2007's Yella), this 2005 feature can easily stand on its own in terms of offbeat creepiness, with chance encounters propelling the characters into unlikely situations. Teenage Nina (Julia Hummer), a foster child who picks up trash as part of a Parks Department work program, witnesses what appears to be an assault and is later befriended by Toni (Sabine Timoteo), the victim of the attack. Toni, however, is no innocent—she soon manipulates her new friend into joining her in petty criminal activities. During a shoplifting spree, Nina is stopped by Francoise (Marianne Basler), a peculiar woman who claims to be Nina's long-lost mother. The two young women later wind up trying to break into movies after an encounter with a strange director (Benno Fürmann) who is not truly interested in turning them into stars. Despite some improbable scenarios, Petzold keeps the action interesting with refreshingly enigmatic characters (who never fall into predictable behavior), played by an uncommonly strong ensemble, with Hummer and Timoteo in particular exuding convincing chemistry. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)