Nina Hoss, with her regal stature and icy stares, infuses the titular character in Christian Petzold's "Barbara" with quiet fury, fierce intelligence and a slow-burning sensuality that combine to convey a sense of repression and longing that's breathtakingly German. While the movie might be a little too detached for its own good, the performance carries it with conviction and ultimately pulls at your heartstrings in spite of itself.
