WOW!! Nothing less describes this thrilling movie. I cried, I laughed, I felt the agents pain. Having seen this movie, I will never be satisfied by any other movie ever again (unless it features Horstmann, of course)! Hard to find, but it really knocks your feet away!
3 Reviews
Great film, superb acting
conspracy-229 May 2000
This film is probably one of the best ever! Sadly, it is hard to find anywhere, but once seen, you will never forget it. It's the moving story of a young agent, who gets thrown into action when a robot is build by the evil proffessor Asmus. The plot may seem dull and naive, but the acting takes this movie to the top. Here we see the new form of method acting - moving, touching, it simply makes you cry. You can really feel the pain and agony the agent experiences. At the same time the dialogue is wonderful and funny - this movie is a must-see!
Forgotten classic
helle_1783 June 2000
I found this film hidden on the back shelf of my local video rental store. I had never heard of it but I got it anyway. We were having a girl's night in and we watched a few films. We watched 'Fried Green Tomatoes' and 'The Piano' and then we watched this movie. We really liked it. It's a low-budget film, but the acting is incredibly strong. We were impressed by Louise Albrechtsen's short cameo as the injured police woman. Whatever became of her? There are a few memorable monologues, one of the finest being Colonel Schnell's in the beginning of the film. A different man after 10 long years of imprisonment, his soliloquiy seeps out of the screen and into our hearts. But, certainly the greatest sequence is the injury, physical as well as psychological, to the agent (Jens Horstmann, in a stellar performance). In this scene, the agent is shot in the arm after a long and fateful battle. His following descent into hallucinations and madness are allegorical to his fall from glory, from being the greatest agent who ever lived to being simply mediocre. In the scene, which incidentally is completely without dialogue, Horstmann manages to convey the crumbling of his soul in such a convincing manner that no eyes are dry. The fact that there is no music, and the only sound is the agent's breathing for such a long scene, is proof of Horstmann's incredible acting skills.
I have since watched Agent 009 3/4, the prequel to this film. That film has a little more interesting plot but less of the human pathos. But the first movie is a little better than this one, simply because the simplicity of the story conforms better to the budget it was produced under. The sequel, this film, sadly tries to incorporate some satiric action elements, which exposes the low budget of the film. That said, this film is certainly one to look out for.
I have since watched Agent 009 3/4, the prequel to this film. That film has a little more interesting plot but less of the human pathos. But the first movie is a little better than this one, simply because the simplicity of the story conforms better to the budget it was produced under. The sequel, this film, sadly tries to incorporate some satiric action elements, which exposes the low budget of the film. That said, this film is certainly one to look out for.
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