Dr. Reinhard Nagl, a disagreeable old man lives in an Austrian estate the size of several hotels put together. He is assisted by a young maid (complete with maid uniform} and a young servant, also in a sort of uniform. The two seem to be able to keep the vast property spotless and superbly maintained, including the vast gardens (no other servants on sight). Nagl berates, insults and humiliates maid and servant in a way that suggests a lord/servant interaction in XVIII century England. We are never fully explained why Nagl has no family or why he has sunk in his present emotional black hole (although, to be fair, there are some hints).
Enter Lorenz Zweig, a lifelong friend of the doctor, a jovial old man straight out of Central Casting. Predictably, an Odd Couple situation develops where the indefatigable Lorenz opens some cracks in Nagl's shell (the watering cans scene tries slapstick unsuccessfully). Family doctor announces Nagl had several minor heart attacks and next will be fatal. Enter Magdalena, Nagl's old flame, conveniently single at the moment. Things wrap up nicely. Maid and servant receive their recompense for years of abuse, the keys to Nagl's Mercedes (that he crashed a few scenes back) and some dubious advice. Finale: Nagl dies the perfect Hollywood death in Magdalena's arms with a "smile on his face."
The positives: excellent cinematography both in panoramic views of the palace and in interiors. The past of Nagl and Lorenz is never told, which adds mystery. The negatives: almost everything else. Script is so predictable that any audience will guess the ending by midmovie, if not earlier. Acting has many rough edges, slapstick doesn't work and most characters are entirely built of cliches, such as Lorenz's granddaughter. Music becomes sappy and distracting after a short while. To top it all there are negative messages such as "be abused for years, endure it, get your recompense." Hollywood would have done the whole thing better.
Enter Lorenz Zweig, a lifelong friend of the doctor, a jovial old man straight out of Central Casting. Predictably, an Odd Couple situation develops where the indefatigable Lorenz opens some cracks in Nagl's shell (the watering cans scene tries slapstick unsuccessfully). Family doctor announces Nagl had several minor heart attacks and next will be fatal. Enter Magdalena, Nagl's old flame, conveniently single at the moment. Things wrap up nicely. Maid and servant receive their recompense for years of abuse, the keys to Nagl's Mercedes (that he crashed a few scenes back) and some dubious advice. Finale: Nagl dies the perfect Hollywood death in Magdalena's arms with a "smile on his face."
The positives: excellent cinematography both in panoramic views of the palace and in interiors. The past of Nagl and Lorenz is never told, which adds mystery. The negatives: almost everything else. Script is so predictable that any audience will guess the ending by midmovie, if not earlier. Acting has many rough edges, slapstick doesn't work and most characters are entirely built of cliches, such as Lorenz's granddaughter. Music becomes sappy and distracting after a short while. To top it all there are negative messages such as "be abused for years, endure it, get your recompense." Hollywood would have done the whole thing better.