"Die kleine Lady" or "Little Lady" is a German small screen film from 2012, so this one has its 5th anniversary this year. And you can say that it is the German approach to Frances Hodgson Burnett's story about Little Lord Fauntleroy and that is really sad to be honest if this is the closest we have to offer to the Alec Guinnees film from 1980. All the creativity in here is from turning the kid into a girl, which describes the creative genius of these people very well. But a look at director Gernot Roll's other directorial efforts says it all pretty much. He is a definite contender for best German cinematographer ever, but directing certainly isn't his strongest side. Then again, the writers are as much to blame. It's all so uninspired and uncreative. Early on, the ways in which the girl does not follow procedure that the old lady expects from her etc when it comes to eating, running around, talking about women's rights etc. The old lady is played by Christiane Hörbiger by the way and it is kinda shocking to see how the Hörbiger acting dynasty has gone south over the generations if these 100 minutes here are the current state. And what's even more sobering is that Hörbiger is still among the better aspects of the film.
At the end, it gets really bad with the rushed-in competition to the fortune that is of course all a scam or the equally rushed-in pseudo heart attack that is called most likely life-ending, but has Hörbiger's character run around only minutes later as if nothing happened. Truly cringeworthy material that fully satisfies the needs of the easily entertained I am sure. I am talking about the ones who think Veronica Ferres is a gifted actress who once again gives a strong female portrayal referencing an important historical issue, namely the right for women to vote. It is the exact opposite. Ferres once again makes the impossible possible, namely to drag down an already horrible film even further. That scene near the end before/when she punches down the fraud is so bad with her waving and everything that it's almost funny. So yes this film or at least the way the story was handled here is a certain contender for very worst of 2012. Look at all the issues it touches and how it really does not deliver in a single one of them. That takes a special lack of talent. As for child actress Philippa Schoene, she never acted again before or after this film and I cannot say I am too mad about that from what I saw about her in here as really all she does is smile from start to finish. Admittedly, the horrible lines she has probably could not have been delivered by any other actress her age. She is on the same level as everybody else here. Take the very last scene as an example of how they rushed in a double love story again foolishly in an even more desperate attempt to raise the forced happy ending factor from 100% to 150%. And how did the boy know the meal was poisoned? Why would they tell him? Why did the old lady make such a character transformation out of nowhere within minutes? Questions over questions, but the one at the very center is why oh why was this even made. Highly not recommended.
At the end, it gets really bad with the rushed-in competition to the fortune that is of course all a scam or the equally rushed-in pseudo heart attack that is called most likely life-ending, but has Hörbiger's character run around only minutes later as if nothing happened. Truly cringeworthy material that fully satisfies the needs of the easily entertained I am sure. I am talking about the ones who think Veronica Ferres is a gifted actress who once again gives a strong female portrayal referencing an important historical issue, namely the right for women to vote. It is the exact opposite. Ferres once again makes the impossible possible, namely to drag down an already horrible film even further. That scene near the end before/when she punches down the fraud is so bad with her waving and everything that it's almost funny. So yes this film or at least the way the story was handled here is a certain contender for very worst of 2012. Look at all the issues it touches and how it really does not deliver in a single one of them. That takes a special lack of talent. As for child actress Philippa Schoene, she never acted again before or after this film and I cannot say I am too mad about that from what I saw about her in here as really all she does is smile from start to finish. Admittedly, the horrible lines she has probably could not have been delivered by any other actress her age. She is on the same level as everybody else here. Take the very last scene as an example of how they rushed in a double love story again foolishly in an even more desperate attempt to raise the forced happy ending factor from 100% to 150%. And how did the boy know the meal was poisoned? Why would they tell him? Why did the old lady make such a character transformation out of nowhere within minutes? Questions over questions, but the one at the very center is why oh why was this even made. Highly not recommended.
