Review: 'Fatherland' returns a parent and daughter to a changed Germany they only partially know

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Set us as preferred A bittersweet homecoming — emphasis on the bitter — propels Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski’s spare, precise drama “Fatherland,” which takes an episode from the life of Nobel Prize-winning German author Thomas Mann and, with the help of some poetic license, creates a story full of simmering anger and sorrow.Only rarely do the dignified characters allow their emotions to come storming out.

When they do, though, the sound seems to reverberate, the tumult of the past ringing in our ears.Like Pawlikowski’s previous two features, “Ida” and “Cold War,” “Fatherland” is a period piece shot in black and white in a boxy 4:3 aspect ratio so that the frame resembles an old photograph, although his images contain no hint of nostalgia.It’s 1949, and the 70-something Mann (Hanns Zischler) has returned to Germany for the first time since fleeing to America 16 years prior.

Accompanying him is Erika (Sandra Hüller), his daughter and fellow writer, who begrudgingly serves as interpreter, personal assistant and driver.In addition, she’ll offer her brutally honest thoughts on the flowery speeches he will deliver while being honored for his artistry.Quickly, they discover that while the war may be over, the bombed-out buildings remain, as do the lingering resentments within Germany, which is controlled by the United States in the west and the Soviets in the east.

Thomas, an outspoken critic of Nazism, leading to his exile, believes that his public appearances can unite the country he loves.The cynical Erika knows better, convinced he’s a PR tool for a nation hoping to refurbish its tarnished reputation.

Movies Not every returning auteur brought their A-game, but we found enough to like, including strong work from Pedro Almodóvar, Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Jane Schoenbrun.Drawing inspiration fro...