German Film "Miroirs No.3" Reflects Loss and Love's Replacement

The German Film, "Miroirs No. 3" is the French piano composition by Ravel which evokes the solitude of a boat adrift. German filmmaker Christian Petzold quiet, beautifully shot movie takes place in the rural countryside just outside Berlin. An attractive young couple head out of the city on a country road.  In passing,  Laura (an enigmatic Paula Beer) makes eye contact with a middle aged woman who is whitewashing the French of her quaint home.  Both women seem to make some connection in their passing glances.  Laura decides she wants to return home and her boyfriend begrudgingly drives her back. He's irritation causes him to drive recklessly and they pass the same woman whom he nearly struck.  Just up a ways the car is heard crashing and the woman runs to be of help. She finds the male deceased and Laura dazed but alive nearby.  Laura is tended to by the woman, Betty, (Barbara Auer) who instructs the medics to bring her back to her nearby home to recover.  Laura warms to the attentive nursing in the sedate home. After a few days, Laura asks Betty if she can remain with her for awhile longer.  Betty generously acquiesces and agrees readily for her to remain as long as she wishes. Laura helps Betty with various household tasks, raises a vegetable garden, prepares meals and the two develop a quiet attachment. Questions arise as to who is benefitting most from their relationship.  Betty for housing Laura, or Laura for providing companionship and comfort from grief.  Laura learns Betty's husband and son work and live nearby. It's ambiguous at first why the family lives apart. This sedate film appeals to the simpler pleasures in life; riding bicycles, eating outdoors or mulling over a glass of wine in the cooling evening. The climatic break feels somewhat rushed and false. The tender bonds that were earned become tarnished.  Still, I'm recommending the film for its earnest performances and its appealing tranquil tone. While I found delight in the gentle pacing and small joys inherent in the film, it may well feel too tepid and inconsequential to others for the same reasons.