A DELIGHTFULLY wicked dark comedy which takes a preposterous idea and turns it into something almost credible, or certainly into something that one wants to believe.

Hella (Riemann), from childhood on, shows her determination and ability to get what she wants from life. With this premise firmly established in a stark and sterile environment of blues and blacks, we are brought to the present day, where softer tones and muted colours suggest a similar softening in her character. This, however, is not necessarily so.

A single woman, ready for a man, a house, and a child, but not necessarily in that order, Hella meets Levin (Vogel), whose rich-kid adolescent antics somehow contrive to sweep her off her feet. He is waiting for his grandfather -a very rich man - to die so he can inherit the fortune and the mansion. Hella becomes more and more involved in Levin's life and companions, and an atmosphere of mistrust and deception slowly builds up. While the constant introduction of new characters and a growing number of accidental deaths keeps rearranging the group dynamics, Hella, without any outward appearance of ruthlessness, is very much out to get what she wants.

The film is beautifully shot, with clarity and strength of line reflecting the workings of Hella's mind, and chaos and speed surrounding Levin; the music continuously shocks us by reminding us of its presence, like the chirpy sounds during a beating, or 'Blue Moon' whenever someone dies; flashing white-outs between scenes suggest a constantly repeated awakening from dream to reality. The cast are excellent, playing characters verging on the edge of the ridiculous, who somehow end up being fascinating instead. All this, plus a succession of twists to the tale, make this well worth watching.