I was not sure what sort of film I was going to watch, when I was entering the movie theater, but I liked Halbe Treppe, although it was VERY influenced by Scandinavian Dogma-releases and therefore very hyped in recent German press releases. The story itself is not that much complex: two couples, of the one the man and of the other the woman become unfaithful... But the gags in-between are terrific. There is this running gag on the 17 hippies playing music in front of the snack box, or the other one concerning Britney Spears, whose music is always running in the background, when scenes were shot at the local radio station. Many devices of the Dogma manifesto were used in this film: no artificial setting, laymen-acting, hand camera a.s.o., but the splendour of a "Idioterne" (Lars von Trier, 1998) or "Festen" (Thomas Vinterberg, 1998) is not achieved. Nevertheless, I liked the movie and was surprised, since most recent German releases bored me a lot. 8* (out of 10*)
16 Reviews
Some fine acting and a good story, that's all a good movie needs
philip_vanderveken11 July 2005
The Scandinavian Dogme rules have found their way abroad. That's what I first thought after seeing this movie. No use of artificial sets, everything filmed with a hand-held camera,... even the story reminded me of those movies. Is that a good or a bad thing I hear you think. Well, personally I like that kind of movies, but if you are only used to watch the mayor American blockbusters, then you better leave this movie alone, because this certainly isn't what you will be looking for.
The story of the movie is quite simple. Two married couples, who both have been married for quite some time, see each other regularly. One couple is made up by Chris, a radio DJ and Katrin, who works at a truck stop. The other couple is formed by Uwe, who owns a small snack / grill bar and Ellen, who works in sales at a perfume shop. Ellen isn't very happy in her marriage with Uwe and when she starts an affair with Chris, all seems to get better for her. But then they get caught by Katrin who walks in on them while they are bathing together and everything explodes. Each of them has a completely different way of dealing with it and while some weird things happen around them, the events force them to think about their marriages, their friendship, the relationships with each other and so many more things...
As I already said, this entire movie feels a lot like it has been influenced by the Scandinavian Dogme rules. I know that there aren't too many people who like that, but personally I do. Most of the time it offers honest cinema without too much extra's and that's exactly what you'll get from this movie as well. The relationships between the four leads are real and believable, as are the people themselves (they don't look like smart Barbie dolls, but are normal human beings). Add to this a story which forms the most important part of the movie, that isn't spoiled by some kind of spectacular stunt work, but offers some fine comic relieves so now and then (especially with the band that stands before Uwe's snack bar and grows larger every day even though he tells them to leave) and you know that you have a nice movie.
Overall this is definitely a movie that deserves to be seen by a larger audience. A good story and some fine acting, with this one they prove that a good film doesn't need more. That's why I give it a 7.5/10.
The story of the movie is quite simple. Two married couples, who both have been married for quite some time, see each other regularly. One couple is made up by Chris, a radio DJ and Katrin, who works at a truck stop. The other couple is formed by Uwe, who owns a small snack / grill bar and Ellen, who works in sales at a perfume shop. Ellen isn't very happy in her marriage with Uwe and when she starts an affair with Chris, all seems to get better for her. But then they get caught by Katrin who walks in on them while they are bathing together and everything explodes. Each of them has a completely different way of dealing with it and while some weird things happen around them, the events force them to think about their marriages, their friendship, the relationships with each other and so many more things...
As I already said, this entire movie feels a lot like it has been influenced by the Scandinavian Dogme rules. I know that there aren't too many people who like that, but personally I do. Most of the time it offers honest cinema without too much extra's and that's exactly what you'll get from this movie as well. The relationships between the four leads are real and believable, as are the people themselves (they don't look like smart Barbie dolls, but are normal human beings). Add to this a story which forms the most important part of the movie, that isn't spoiled by some kind of spectacular stunt work, but offers some fine comic relieves so now and then (especially with the band that stands before Uwe's snack bar and grows larger every day even though he tells them to leave) and you know that you have a nice movie.
Overall this is definitely a movie that deserves to be seen by a larger audience. A good story and some fine acting, with this one they prove that a good film doesn't need more. That's why I give it a 7.5/10.
An interesting but flawed drama
timelord-314 July 2002
Part comedy, part drama, 'Grill Point' gets up close and personal in documentary style with two families in middle class Germany. The local Radio DJ has an affair with a restauranters wife; we are agonizingly close as the fallout of betrayal and discovery manifests itself.
Its not all doom and gloom though; we get comedic moments with an ever-growing street side performance troupe that becomes the thorn in the side; and the adultery itself is handled initially with a playful jocularity that belies what is to come.
Let down by not really having a style and sticking to it to maintain consistency; 'Grill Point' is an interesting but flawed drama.
Its not all doom and gloom though; we get comedic moments with an ever-growing street side performance troupe that becomes the thorn in the side; and the adultery itself is handled initially with a playful jocularity that belies what is to come.
Let down by not really having a style and sticking to it to maintain consistency; 'Grill Point' is an interesting but flawed drama.
the making of...
buzz_the_bee021 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this movie in a very unique fashion. The director, Andreas Dresen, was visiting my college and screening the movie. My German Studies teacher (the focus of the class is contemporary German culture, and using film as a source) had us all meet there and see it. We got to meet the director, and ask him all kinds of questions.
He revealed that this movie was created in a unique fashion: almost all of the acting was improvised, and only very few scenes were scripted, and that was only done for consistency. The crew was EXTREMELY small, consisting of mainly the 4 main actors, Dresen, a cameraman, and a audio person. Everything was on the spot and improvised, giving the movie an almost documentary-like quality, and many scenes were filmed on a whim. In fact, Dresen revealed that the interviews that are interspersed throughout the movie, he did not mean to originally include. They were only meant to see if the actors were in character, and to see how they, as their character, would respond to the given questions and situations. To give the movie an authentic and natural feel, each actor in fact spent some time, I believe Dresen said a few months, actually working the job that they had in the movie. Also, Uwe is only shown smoking constantly because the actor, Axel, is a chain smoker. The musicians playing out of the toilet was originally a fleeting suggestions the group (17 Hippies) had made, and Dresen never intended to keep. The scene where Katrin walks alone in the snow was filmed basically before the movie had a plot, with hopes that it could possibly be included somewhere along the way. The dentist scene was a fleeting suggestion that Axel had made; he told Dresen that he was going to the dentist, and if maybe he wanted to come along and film something that could be used in the movie in his role as Uwe. In fact, the real dentist's nurse refused to be on camera, and Dresen had to get someone (from his small crew) to stand in for the position in the shot, but the actual operation and tooth removal is all REAL, live footage. Also,the first time Uwe tells the musician outside the stand to go away, he was never supposed to go back out and yell at him to go down to the lamppost, and in fact the musician was not supposed to obey him and move down there. Apparently the 17 Hippes, the musicians, were so convincing as street musicians that when the crew was not filming, people would actually throw them change. I apologize for these revelations not being in any particular order, but I found them fascinating, and wanted to share them.
He revealed that this movie was created in a unique fashion: almost all of the acting was improvised, and only very few scenes were scripted, and that was only done for consistency. The crew was EXTREMELY small, consisting of mainly the 4 main actors, Dresen, a cameraman, and a audio person. Everything was on the spot and improvised, giving the movie an almost documentary-like quality, and many scenes were filmed on a whim. In fact, Dresen revealed that the interviews that are interspersed throughout the movie, he did not mean to originally include. They were only meant to see if the actors were in character, and to see how they, as their character, would respond to the given questions and situations. To give the movie an authentic and natural feel, each actor in fact spent some time, I believe Dresen said a few months, actually working the job that they had in the movie. Also, Uwe is only shown smoking constantly because the actor, Axel, is a chain smoker. The musicians playing out of the toilet was originally a fleeting suggestions the group (17 Hippies) had made, and Dresen never intended to keep. The scene where Katrin walks alone in the snow was filmed basically before the movie had a plot, with hopes that it could possibly be included somewhere along the way. The dentist scene was a fleeting suggestion that Axel had made; he told Dresen that he was going to the dentist, and if maybe he wanted to come along and film something that could be used in the movie in his role as Uwe. In fact, the real dentist's nurse refused to be on camera, and Dresen had to get someone (from his small crew) to stand in for the position in the shot, but the actual operation and tooth removal is all REAL, live footage. Also,the first time Uwe tells the musician outside the stand to go away, he was never supposed to go back out and yell at him to go down to the lamppost, and in fact the musician was not supposed to obey him and move down there. Apparently the 17 Hippes, the musicians, were so convincing as street musicians that when the crew was not filming, people would actually throw them change. I apologize for these revelations not being in any particular order, but I found them fascinating, and wanted to share them.
A must.
imdb-27088 March 2004
I'm very fond of this movie. The authenticity of the actors, the very light and playful use of humor an subtle gags and the fact, that although they were doing it on a very low budget, you're not going to be sick by the way they handle the camera makes this so absolutely enjoyable. its setting in frankfurt/oder is also something very different even though films on the soil of the ex-gdr are on the increase. i haven't seen such a film since 'Männer' which is a few decades ago.
this movie tells a common story like no other. watch it in german.
this movie tells a common story like no other. watch it in german.
comical and powerful
danielweyandt30 December 2002
A film I almost didn't go to watch, because the theme didn't seem appealing enough. In the end I was very glad, I had gone, since while perhaps not perfect, I found it to be very realistic and close up which at least for me made it very touching. As an aside you get a good look at some aspects of the former East Germany 10 years on, as the story is situated there.
A real gem
HarmenB24 June 2006
I want to thank the American reviewer who explained some of the movie-making details of this film, because I was truly bewildered by the quality and the realism of acting. The first time I saw it (maybe a couple of years ago) I rated HALBE TREPPE only a 7. Now, after second viewing, it has become a 10. Out of 1000+ films, I rated only 17 movies this high.
But it was an easy "full tenner". The story is just so engaging and there are no dull moments at all. That's quite an accomplishment for a movie with this subject matter, I think. Also, the cinematography was very competent. It captured everything that had to be captured, every meaningful move and look. When you watch closely, you'll even notice some beautiful outdoor shots.
I like the movie more than several Dogme films I've seen, which are made quite similarly, but in my opinion are less vibrant, funny and involving. HALBE TREPPE makes you think about relationships, commitment, morals and personal conviction. Try to see this one.
But it was an easy "full tenner". The story is just so engaging and there are no dull moments at all. That's quite an accomplishment for a movie with this subject matter, I think. Also, the cinematography was very competent. It captured everything that had to be captured, every meaningful move and look. When you watch closely, you'll even notice some beautiful outdoor shots.
I like the movie more than several Dogme films I've seen, which are made quite similarly, but in my opinion are less vibrant, funny and involving. HALBE TREPPE makes you think about relationships, commitment, morals and personal conviction. Try to see this one.
Very realistic
robin-896 January 2003
The story of the film is uncomplicated, but very realistic. This is also helped a lot by the actors who improvised the whole dialogues (which gives them the nice charme of the "Didi & Stulle" comics, including the dialect). In the beginning this is very funny, but you stop laughing when you notice that what you are watching is like real life.
Interesting movie, takes care of the small details while neglecting the global ones
Sennin9 February 2004
The movie works on a plain line, telling straightly the story about this couple of marriages and how they manage to resolve a given situation. At first thoughts, the movie seems to be careless in what techniques are concerned, no esthetics nor photography proposal; but by half the movie you start to notice how some minimal details are driven, happening to work out by the end of it. While the plot management could have been better, though it does entertain, one of the major problems you can find is the camera direction. As opposite as one may think, working with a hand camera (as Lars von Trier does in his Dogmas) isn't a piece of cake, but a matter of great care. If not, you may get some really bad shots that would be the equivalent of shutting down the video and record an audio only scene. This is what happens here: There is a couple of scenes, mostly the ones in the cars, where all you get to see is the face of the character speaking covering the 90% of your screen and then i switches to the face of the interlocutor. That and a couple of gratuitous scenes, like the one with the dentist, that may have been deleted are the big flaws you may find in the movie. As a conclusion I may say that I don't regret having seen this movie, but it didn't change my life either.
Symbolism
gier-16 June 2004
I excuse in advance for my bad English! It's late and I'm German! :-) When I read the critic that has already been done I get the impression that he hasn't understood the film. This is so much symbolic! The orchestra that is growing more and more during the film is not only because of fun, it means something! Find out yourself what it could mean for you! It's not a comedy film. Not everything that you can laugh about means it is funny. Sometimes people laugh about things which are actually very sad, and a part of THEM too, but they CAN'T see it!! It's a drama, everything about this film is drama, like normal life. The normal life is often so depressing and sad... Well, we try to make the best of it, we laugh... And more and more we loose the gift to see clear. It's our life that is represented in this film. WE ARE that ridiculous. Have you realized the bird that escaped from his cage? In the end it comes back... What could it mean?
Guess it from the title....or not!
otzi16 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I heard about the movie from a friend, who had seen it at the Berlinale Film Festival in 2002, where the movie actually won the Silver Bear Award in this year. He only told me about a little, quite but funny movie which is taking place in a city in the eastern part of Germany (former GDR), but he didn't wanted to spoil it. "Halbe Treppe" literally means as much as "on/ at/ to be half stairs" or if one has climbed a few steps one finds itself at "half stairs". This idiom does not make sense in German either, so my conclusion was that this is a term only used in the former GDR i do not understand, because i grew up in the western part of Germany. There are a few expressions only used in the GDR, but now being used in all parts of Germany. My anticipation of the plot was something about living in typical socialistic suburban dwellings in the eastern part of Germany where the term "Halbe Treppe" is used for something i do not know. I forgot about the movie and finally watched it a few days ago on TV (gladly without commercial breaks) and i was absolutely surprised, when i found out that "Halbe Treppe" is the name Uwe's Grillpoint (the English title!) which is situated between 2 stairs at "Halbe Treppe"! In my eyes the story in this movie could take place anywhere in Germany, Europe, but maybe the city of Frankfurt/Oder was not coincidentally chosen by the director. Well, i have been there but many people from the old federal states (and some from the new states, too) in Germany think Frankfurt/Oder is the end of the world, the worst place to live in Germany, because the city is situated head to head to the polish city Slubice bordered by the river "Oder". For people from the U.S. maybe it is comparable to Tijuana, but without the fence!! In the meantime Poland has become a full member of the EU so far, but prejudices about Poland are though. Everything is different: People, language, currency, habits, prices (low). While Slubice is economically growing and growing, Frankfurt is struggling with unemployment and disillusioned citizens where a lot of them have already moved away from the city (for more information have a look at the English Wikipedia). It's very satirical when Chris crosses the border to rent a polish hotel room just to save the money, if he and Ellen want to meet secretly: Even cheating German couples support the polish economy due to cheaper prices! It must be great fun for the director to confuse the viewer with a story about the relationship of 2 couples if one expects a plot about the life in a struggling city, emphasized by the fact that the movie is shot in the depressive mood of winter. Although my expectation of the movie were completely wrong i was hooked up immediately and always thought the situations the characters experience must end up in a tragic and sad disaster, but the terrific comical elements (the search for the escaped budgie, the people who think Chris is a fortune teller who predicted the power failure) make this movie a brilliant piece of German cinema.
Fascinated by improvisation
llamalleasing27 February 2003
Halbe Treppe is a good film, but is even more interesting when you realize a key point about it's production. The first is that most of the dialogue and plot is improvised. There was a lot of unused, and presumably unusable, footage.
It's also a crazy film, in the way that life is often crazy.
I first saw this film in Berlin, without subtitles and found the accents a little thick, but it's also a great film for students of German who want some practice understanding real, colloquial speech.
It's also a crazy film, in the way that life is often crazy.
I first saw this film in Berlin, without subtitles and found the accents a little thick, but it's also a great film for students of German who want some practice understanding real, colloquial speech.
Fascinating experiment in film-making
BoulderBlues2 December 2008
While the quality of the film is uneven, the overall experiment makes the film worth watching. Director Andreas Dresen (trained in the former East Germany), who often works with these actors, decided to make a film without a script (needless to say, he had some difficulty gaining funding!) A dramaturg worked to ensure narrative consistency, and the small film team met to plan the scenes for the next day. The focus becomes a focus on the characters and their experience of a place we hear little about - the town of Frankfurt on the Oder, which is located deep in the former East Germany on the Polish border. By the way - the film often is compared to Dogme95, with good reason. However, Dresen, in interviews, rejects the restrictive nature of the Dogme95 guidelines.
Incredibly well played out improv experiment
denis-2379121 October 2020
This film tells a story that hadn't been written (or maybe on half a page) but was almost entirely improvised by the fabulous cast. Great emotions on the entire spectrum from love, joy, desire, deceipt, friendship, betrayal, anger, hopelessness, emptiness...all but hatred. Great gags along the way and surprising use of mockumentary elements when the characters are suddenly interviewed between the actions. Astonishing achievement.
broken marriage and relationship.. unhappiness
afterdarkpak16 August 2020
The camera works in this movie is very weird , sometimes it hurt to eyes for those who have big screens, some good performance . good story plot but ends bad for some point.
Adultery always ends bad. and it always breaks the relationship , trust , honesty and dignity .. no matter how hard one try , it never ever be fix or back togehter. never . thats why the ending is bad.
Adultery always ends bad. and it always breaks the relationship , trust , honesty and dignity .. no matter how hard one try , it never ever be fix or back togehter. never . thats why the ending is bad.
Story is usual one-but treatment is realistic
shamnass11 December 2003
Two pairs,each married quite long time,spend their time together happily.two persons,a man,Chris& a woman,Ellen in this pair goes unfaithful to their marriage.conflict starts.four of them meet&discuss about this prob.but,doesn't come to conclusion.Chirs&Ellan try to find a new house for their living.Even after seeing seven houses,they are not settle with one "cause of their diff. of opinion.Slowly,Chris come towards her wife.One pair get reunion.But,Ellan stands on her husband Uwe"s negligence.Ellan still likes to move for a new house,with her children.Uwe awaits for her with hope.
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