This TV movie is constructed on a very realistic, even probable and therefore also very frightening premise; the collapse of the European (in this case German) social security system (government retirement pension plan, which is still obligatory for all in almost all of Europe). As an idea, and as a movie meant to point to a problem that will probably become one of the central issues of European life in the years to come, this film merits 10 stars.
Unfortunately, it seems that most of the creative thinking was used up in creating the premise. By far the most interesting and accomplished part of this 3-part series is the beginning where the effects of the system's breakdown are depicted, the circumstances under which most of the elderly are forced to live after a near bankrupt state has introduced "an equal pension for all" policy (how very socialist that sounds...) set at Euro 560 (approx. US$ 730 at today's rate of exchange), an amount "too small to live of, and too high to die from" as one character in the film puts it. The rest of the movie then slips into something between a cheap thriller and a soap opera. It becomes unrealistic, over the top in many instances, at times overdrawn and at others too hurried. In other words, badly filmed.
All in all below average, but it's worth watching solely because it deals with a problem that will one way or another, likely affect most of us (if not all), in the very near future.
Unfortunately, it seems that most of the creative thinking was used up in creating the premise. By far the most interesting and accomplished part of this 3-part series is the beginning where the effects of the system's breakdown are depicted, the circumstances under which most of the elderly are forced to live after a near bankrupt state has introduced "an equal pension for all" policy (how very socialist that sounds...) set at Euro 560 (approx. US$ 730 at today's rate of exchange), an amount "too small to live of, and too high to die from" as one character in the film puts it. The rest of the movie then slips into something between a cheap thriller and a soap opera. It becomes unrealistic, over the top in many instances, at times overdrawn and at others too hurried. In other words, badly filmed.
All in all below average, but it's worth watching solely because it deals with a problem that will one way or another, likely affect most of us (if not all), in the very near future.
