During an understaffed night shift on a busy hospital ward, Floria's dedication to her patients is put to the test as her mounting responsibilities and the ensuing stress come close to derailing her shift entirely, and lead to an error that could threaten her career. Written and directed by Petra Volpe, and selected to compete at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, Late Shift may focus on the German healthcare industry, but its relevance extends beyond borders.
Soft yet assured filmmaking that casts an empathetic and furious eye over the healthcare sector in the hope of bringing recognition to the hard work of its overworked staff, Late Night is an impressively balanced and thoughtfully executed picture that operates as a rallying cry for an industry on the brink. Cleanly directed, with a lean runtime that propels the film at an incisive pace while building tension through the atmospheric score from composer Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch (quickly becoming one of the most reliable and in-demand talents the film industry has to offer), Late Night grips with its urgency, vitality, and verisimilitude. The slow uncoiling is strictly measured, and a decision which guarantees that its parting image, which lifts the veil of realism ever so slightly, is a moving conclusion that portrays the emotional connection health workers have with their patients with respect and admiration.
One of the great strengths of Petra Volpe's screenplay is its ability to circumvent dramatic temptations: avoiding over-dramatisation in the knowledge that it would undermine the emotional key to the story - that being, that this is everyday life - Volpe's procedural approach imbues it with a clear-eyed realism that helps deliver its message with enormous weight, without veering into a preachiness that would risk the message diluting with mounting dramatic tropes. Volpe's plotting is tight, making the 'against the clock' aspect of the narrative strong, and the supporting characters, whose appearances are understandably fleeting, are still sketched with attention and dimension, rendered as real human beings facing a crisis.
Still, the screenplay's focus on keeping Floria, the unmistakable beating heart of Late Shift, front and centre is what really ensures the film thrives emotionally, and Leonie Benesch's poise and control are crucial to that. Benesch's delicate touch translates a character that could have easily fallen into symbolic martyrdom into someone with depth and dynamism, rendered with a softness that demonstrates Floria's genuine compassion and unwavering skill, while cracking the façade just enough to see her exhaustion and frustration seep through when the narrative calls for it. It really ought to go down as one of the finest performances of the year, with so much of the film's success resting in how well balanced Benesch's starring turn is.
A powerful and timely feature that demonstrates the demands of healthcare workers around the world and presents them as a rallying cry for reform, the universality of Late Shift’s depictions and the deftness with which it handles its themes and characters make for a truly heartfelt viewing experience. Benesch’s outstanding leading performance carries a feature borne out of both compassion and anger, which Petra Volpe’s balances with sophistication in both her uncomplicated direction and attentive screenplay, resulting in a terrific and urgent piece that deserves your attention