Return To Montauk

Starring Nina Hoss, Stellan Skarsgard. Director Volker Schlondorff.

A philandering author seeks out an old flame in this exquisitely slow-burning affair. Swedish veteran Skarsgard and Hoss are magnificent as the former lovers in this movie from 78-year-old Volker Schlondorff, perhaps the best known director in his native Germany. Now here’s the rub: take out the Nordic cool, and what you have is a routine romantic drama, but a stylish one. You might think there’s a message here, a bit of philosophy there, but move on, there isn’t anything to see except a director’s artfulness.