Nothing Personal

Urszula Antoniak makes her directing debut with this unusual drama following the unlikely journey of a nameless young Dutch woman (Lotte Verbeek) who jettisons nearly all of her belongings and sets off to hitchhike through Ireland. After a few unpleasant encounters on the road, she arrives at the isolated residence of reclusive widower Martin (Stephen Rea) and takes a Goldilocks-worthy appraisal of her surroundings before literally making herself at home. Martin offers her food in exchange for work, but she insists that their communications be limited—and will not reveal her name (she only answers to “Hey you”). Slowly Martin begins to wear down her defenses, with a sumptuous lobster dinner as part of his strategy. Verbeek and Rea have an offbeat chemistry that fuels this odd film; she possesses a distinctive otherworldliness, while his deep humanity shines from within his character's ragged appearance. Although the plot loses some of its power once the central enigma is explained, Nothing Personal is still a quirky and entertaining watch. Recommended. (P. Hall)