Offline (2012)

Directed by: Peter Monsaert
Country: Belgium

Review: “Offline” is an interesting drama about a shattered family. The story focuses on Rudy, a quarrelsome ex-con, who returns to Ghent after seven years in prison to establish contact with his dejected daughter Vicky. The only way he has to do this is through the Internet, since someone told him she was working in a porn-chat website. It was noticeable that he wasn’t very welcome in town; his wife didn’t want to see him and his older friends became unfriendly. The exception is Rachid who often trusts him his computer without having any idea of what he was doing with it. During great part of the film, it is inevitable to wonder why Rudy had been arrested, but the plot will reserve the answers for the right moments, unveiling terrible family secrets. With a consistent camera work and good performances, Monsaert's most accessible movie, addresses a current topic but moves in well-known territories. The characters showed to bear a great heaviness on their shoulders and every contrariety could degenerate into irretrievable fatality. The end was left open, in a despairing story about giving a second chance to someone who has made huge mistakes in the past. "Offline" was capable of arousing curiosity, even when in needing of a bolder move to better stand out.