“A
hit-man who kills an innocent young
photographer who has witnessed an
assassination finds himself inextricably
drawn to the boy’s sister — a passion
that could put both their lives in danger
in The Poet...”
RIDING ON THE CREST OF SUCCESS, promising young artistic photographer Rick
Stern (the excellent Andrew Lee Potts: Primeval) has an appointment with
Arts Magazine in Vienna. He inadvertently goes to the wrong office, where he
is confronted by a professional hit-man carrying out an assassination.
The hit-man, Andrei Losin (empathetically portrayed by Dougray Scott: Mission
Impossible II), kills him but is curious enough to look through the sketchbook
Rick was taking to the magazine — which he keeps, along with an
open invitation to an exhibition of Rick's work.
Despite a strong police presence, led by the tough and determined Detective
Inspector Max Vashon (a consistently good Jürgen Prochnow: Das Boot)
whose job it was to keep the man safe, Andrei escapes from the building and
disappears.
A cold blooded assassin, Andrei is a former soldier but he has a love of poetry
and was once known as The Poet. He did not want to kill an innocent; but he
feels an even deeper regret for killing a fellow artiste.
Andrei's target, Jorg Hoogezahl (Peter Moucka), had helped embezzle billions
of dollars of African aid but he had information needed by the Police. Max Vashon
heads the investigation to find the assassin and clashes with colleague Hartmann
(Miguel Herz-Kestranek), who constantly belittles him.
In a bizarre need to understand the man he has killed, Andrei attends the photographer's
exhibition and meets Rick's devastated sister, Paula Stern (sweetly played by
Laura Elena Harring: Mulholland Drive), with whom he shares an instant
irresistible attraction.
A grieving Paula tells Andrei how much Rick meant to her and what drove him
— he had run away to Bosnia when he was 15 and it had had a profound effect
on him. She also tells him that "a piece of his soul" has gone missing: the
sketchbook. After their parents died, it was Paula who looked after Rick and
they were extremely close. She seems to blame herself that she could not protect
him.
Now obsessed with Paula, Andrei is getting careless. He tries to extricate himself
from his deadly contractual obligations in order to go away with her, but his
contact refuses to let him go and threatens him with the one thing he cannot
face losing. Some unexpected work must be finished and he cannot leave until
the contract is fulfilled. With deep misgivings, he carries out his orders.
But will it be this final hit that will lose him everything? With Vashon close
on his heels and now deeply in love with Paula, can there be a way out for Andrei?
This film explores the assassin's relationship with both his victim's artistic
life and his victim's sister. Taking death as its theme, The Poet is
a captivating film that will hook you right to the very end.
The Poet also features: Erika Marozsán as Eva Klinger; Mavie Hörbiger
as Rita; Hary Prinz as Dieter Crossman; Rudolph Ruggiero as Lothar Spangler;
and David de Keyser as Lomax.
Art Photographer is Werner Pawlok; Music is by Marcell Barsotti and Sofa Surfers;
Director of Photography is Roger Bonnici; Story is by Leslie Ann Proctor; Screenplay
is by Leslie Ann Proctor, Emil Meyer, Robert Hammond and Barbara Jago; Producers
are Jonathan English, Evan Todd and Timothy Ney; Produced by Arno E Ortmair;
and beautifully Directed by Paul Hills (Boston Kickout; Do Elephants Play).
• A lyrical tragedy set in France, Austria
and Germany, The Poet comes to DVD courtesy of Bluebell Films on 31 October
2011. Certificate: 15 | RRP: £14.99.
"The Poet is a captivating film that will hook you right to the very
end" —
Maggie Woods, MotorBar
“A
hit-man who kills an innocent young