Wetlands
(Feuchtgebiete)
Film Review by Kam Williams

Helen Memel (Carla Juri) has had hemorrhoids for as long as she can remember, an unfortunate affliction she probably developed as a result of a combination of probing herself and practicing very poor hygiene. For the headstrong rebel has made a habit of ignoring her mother’s (Meret Becker) sensible advice, such as to not sit on a public toilet seat.

Instead, Helen tends to go to the opposite extreme, taking a kinky pleasure in coming in contact with whatever bodily fluids might have been left behind by strangers in the ladies’ room. The sexually-insatiable 18 year-old also enjoys experimenting with everything from cucumbers to carrots to pulsating shower heads in a neverending quest for the next climax.

She even flirts shamelessly with her BFF, Corinna (Marlen Kruse), who’s straight and already has a boyfriend, Mike (Bernardo Arias Porras). But Helen is so curious and driven by lust that she fantasizes about seducing him as well.

What’s behind all the bizarre behavior? It might be explained by the trauma the poor child suffered as a consequence of her parents’ divorce. She’s desperate for the two of them to reconcile, and has been acting out since the separation, filling the void by deliberately seducing boys with a whiff of her very carnal feminine scent.

Directed by David Wnendt, Wetlands is a surreal, coming-of-age adventure which keeps you guessing whether what you’re watching is real or merely the product of the horny heroine’s fertile imagination. The picture is based on Charlotte Roche’s erotic thriller, “Feuchtgebiete” which was the best-selling novel in the entire world for the month of March, 2008. 

A non-stop sexcapade revolving around a literally and figuratively filthy hedonist who puts a whole new spin on the term “dirty girl.”

Very Good (3 stars)

Unrated

In German with subtitles

Running time: 104 minutes

Distributor: Strand Releasing

To see a trailer for Wetlands, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3PRY13WiwM