My friend just summarized this film perfectly:"I paid ten DM for this film and I can't even be upset about having wasted my money". This movie is completely German: every character which appears in it is introduced, explained and motivated. No holes in the plot, no surprises, no bad scenes as well. The acting is great, but hey, what do you expect if you throw a lot of "soul" and "drama" to a selection of Germany's finest actors.
If you are not German and never lived in this country, don't see this movie; it will appear dull and retarded. If you are German, you will enjoy it, laugh (a bit) and feel sad in the end. Just fine for a casual Saturday evening out with your girl-/boy-friend.
Summary of the plot: the movie is set partly in Spain and partly in Germany. All scenes are essentially dialogues between two of a bunch of characters that are all somehow related to each other. The web of their fates, loves, flirts, dramas is pulled tighter and tighter, but unlike your expectations no climax occurs. So you end up with a collection of short stories, which is where the script of the movie originated from (To read a truly fascinating book based on the same idea, try Ingo Schulzes 'Simple Stories' -- much better than the movie!). Apparently, Ms Doerrie made this film in order to memorate her late partner, who died during the first attempt to shoot it. This is why all the dialogues circle around the ever-hot topic of love, death & marriage. She hadn't had the courage and the understanding to do the film with two persons, so instead she multiplied the problems and characters as if to demonstrate that in the end we are all alike with our problems and our solutions. Heavy stuff ! And, being German, Ms Doerrie offers instantly the perfect solution: Stop being German and become Spanish! They got songs, dances, sun and know how to mourn and live...
I give this film 5 points, because it is so average and stubborn. I wished that once these directors dared and I could love or hate their films. Now they annoy me, but decently.
P.S.: If you are up for a good German movie, go see 'Lola rennt' by Tom Tykwer !
If you are not German and never lived in this country, don't see this movie; it will appear dull and retarded. If you are German, you will enjoy it, laugh (a bit) and feel sad in the end. Just fine for a casual Saturday evening out with your girl-/boy-friend.
Summary of the plot: the movie is set partly in Spain and partly in Germany. All scenes are essentially dialogues between two of a bunch of characters that are all somehow related to each other. The web of their fates, loves, flirts, dramas is pulled tighter and tighter, but unlike your expectations no climax occurs. So you end up with a collection of short stories, which is where the script of the movie originated from (To read a truly fascinating book based on the same idea, try Ingo Schulzes 'Simple Stories' -- much better than the movie!). Apparently, Ms Doerrie made this film in order to memorate her late partner, who died during the first attempt to shoot it. This is why all the dialogues circle around the ever-hot topic of love, death & marriage. She hadn't had the courage and the understanding to do the film with two persons, so instead she multiplied the problems and characters as if to demonstrate that in the end we are all alike with our problems and our solutions. Heavy stuff ! And, being German, Ms Doerrie offers instantly the perfect solution: Stop being German and become Spanish! They got songs, dances, sun and know how to mourn and live...
I give this film 5 points, because it is so average and stubborn. I wished that once these directors dared and I could love or hate their films. Now they annoy me, but decently.
P.S.: If you are up for a good German movie, go see 'Lola rennt' by Tom Tykwer !