Sales trailer for The Door.
Faultlessly directed with Old World taste and conviction by Istvan Szabo, The Door describes the unusual relationship between a well-to-do novelist and her poor, elderly maid. A showcase for the formidable acting talent of leads Helen Mirren and Martina Gedeck (The Lives of Others), this character-driven drama feels too traditional, however, to rally the audiences that Mirren’s performance, in particular, deserves. Set in Hungary in the 1960s, the film faces the additional hurdle of English-language dialogue that sounds forced in the dubbing of minor roles. Still, the overall quality of the production and its powerful story are bound to draw some art house interest.