The feeling is that of a semidocumentary or reenacted documentary, although the movie contains fiction elements. The scenario is mostly a courthouse in Berlin where Bernt, a German citizen is being tried for the brutal killing of his Peruvian wife Mariella. The journey = reise of the title is that of Mariella's sister Naomi and her mother Elena, who have sacrificed their last resources to fly from Lima to Berlin to be present at the trial.
Director Frieder Schlaich's and scriptwriter Claudia Schaefer do not preach, dramatize or try to sway us towards any point of view; conclusions, if any, are in charge of the viewer. For instance, a masterful (and very brief) initial scene shows the entitlement and cruelty of the Peruvian upper classes (no different that in many other countries). We learn other facts past and present from courtroom testimony and conversation snatches, such as the lack of opportunities in Peru that drove Mariella to marry Bernt.
The courtroom scenes may be a surprise to fans of Law and Order. The outcome is decided by a judge, not a jury, courtroom theatrics are limited and other features are missing such as fake repentance accompanied by crying that is almost de rigueur in American criminal trials. In fact, it is obvious that Berndt is not repentant in any way, is an unapologetic racist and, with the help of his lawyer, is just trying to twist the facts in his favor. And, one has the impression that Mariella's Third World origin casts a shadow over the whole proceedings.and has a hidden role in the deliberations.
The movie is based on a true story. Scarlett James plays Naomi. She has charisma and screen presence and her acting conveys emotions in a subtle, low key, often nonverbal way. The rest of the cast is at the same level and the actors playing lawyers are real lawyers, which adds authenticity. Cool, detached cinematography by Micaela Cajahuaringa frames the action perfectly. A quality film.
