‘Late Shift’ Review: Gripping Drama Revolves Around an Extraordinary Leonie Benesch as an Overworked and Tireless Nurse

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The title of Petra Volpe’s latest film, “Late Shift,” is straightforward yet effective, much like the nurse character at its core. Interestingly, the original Swiss-German title, “Heldin,” translates to “heroine,” hinting at a sense of reverence and admiration that underlies the movie’s narrative. While “Late Shift” is straightforward and factual, “Heldin” reflects the awe-inspiring aspects of modern medical care and the dedicated professional portrayed by Leonie Benesch in this intense and absorbing hospital drama.

In “The Divine Order,” both Volpe and the main actor swiftly navigate the hospital halls with a dynamic, unforced energy that keeps viewers captivated. Prior to her shift, Floria’s brisk and focused chat with fellow nurse Bea (Sonja Riesen) in the locker room indicates she prefers avoiding idle chit-chat, even on good days. The rapid tempo of the score by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch (“All of Us Strangers”) further underscores this. However, it becomes apparent that this shift will be one of the busiest and most challenging: The surgical ward is overflowing, the nursing team is understaffed, and an urgent operation demands the attention of a doctor on call.

Floria often explains that it’s just her and another person today when someone expresses concern about the wait,” she says. Before offering an apology, however, Floria swiftly moves into action, aiding a coworker with the less-than-glamorous task of changing a confused woman’s incontinence pants. After that, she’s off and running, navigating the icy blue-green maze of hallways armed with her cart full of computers, machines, and medication. Production designer Beatrice Schulz transformed an abandoned hospital into this set, striking a balance between clinical precision and practicality. Within this environment, cinematographer Judith Kaufmann (The Teachers’ Lounge, Corsage) skillfully captures Floria’s journey with the camera, creating a harmonious dance between the performers and the camera work.

The heartwarming scenes involving Floria engaging with fellow staff members and patients truly breathe life into the movie. Drawing inspiration from Madeline Calvelage’s autobiographical novel, “Our Profession Is Not the Problem. It’s the Circumstances“, Volpe has carefully assembled a cast featuring experienced actors, debut performers, and real-life medical professionals. As day transitions into night, Floria comforts a man from Burkina Faso (Urbain Guiguemdé) who’s apprehensive about his tests, providing him solace in his loneliness. She imparts sage advice to a middle-aged woman (Doris Schefer) troubled by leaving her dying father’s side, and does her best to calm the anxieties of a man (Urs Bihler) as he anxiously awaits test results, sharing her knowledge of his impending bad news without breaching protocol.

Just like the fast-paced screenplay, Volpe swiftly paints a picture of Floria’s domestic life as a single mother. Similarly, Floria is sparing in her words and actions, yet knows when to pause meaningfully. She sings a soothing lullaby to Margherita Schoch, who struggles with dementia, or listens attentively when Lale Yavas, a cancer patient back from treatment, speaks frankly about her difficult choices.

As a string of calamities progressively unsettles Floria, she eventually reaches a boiling point during an encounter with a wealthy patient (Jürg Plüss), who initially seems like a typical stereotype due to his constant demands and sarcastic remarks from behind his closed door. However, their conversation in the movie becomes one of its most poignant moments. Throughout the narrative, Hansjörg Weissbrich’s skillful editing perfectly captures the story’s evolving emotional landscape, creating a sense that, within this cold and clinical environment where both bodies and spirits reside, death is always lurking nearby.

The closing credits issue a caution about a scarcity of nurses, not just in Switzerland but worldwide. Honoring an often overlooked vocation, the show Late Shift presents a depiction of everyday bravery, notably when Floria stands up to a surgeon for a patient who feels neglected. Regardless of your opinions on pain management strategies and medication usage, such advocacy is invaluable.

In the play “The Teachers’ Lounge“, Benesch portrayed a fresh schoolteacher with a raw intensity and presence that was also noticeable in her mostly stationary role in “September 5“. However, in her performance in “Late Shift“, she delves even deeper into this character. Floria, played by Benesch, moves with a calm yet furious grace: her assured strides through the ward, the repetitive use of hand sanitizer, and her proficient handling of medical equipment like catheters, needles, and syringes (she reportedly completed an internship at a Swiss hospital to prepare for this role). From her stern reprimands of a student nurse to her own emotional breakdowns, Floria is a complex, richly drawn character and indeed a heroine.

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2025-02-19 22:24