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Hightower2232
Reviews
Quellen des Lebens (2013)
A very strange movie
Oskar Roehler's movie is hard to classify. He wants to tell a story about a family that covers thirty years but for the viewer it's hard to say if it's a drama or a grotesqueness. The movie never finds a balance between them. Roehler's cast contains some of Germany's best actors: Jürgen Vogel, Moritz Bleibtreu, Meret Becker - but the script doesn't allow them to really perform in the best way possible. Instead Vogel has to be the grumpy granddad who hardly shows any feelings. Bleibtreu has to play a one-dimensional idiot who still orders his son to go to bed and drink his milk once he is almost a grown-up. It's only the young actors - Leonard Scheicher and Lisa Smit - whose natural performing skills save the film somehow. I cannot really recommend to watch this movie - if not for the soundtrack that consists of a couple of the best rock and pop songs of the era.
Im Goggomobil um die Welt (2006)
Great fun
This is a really charming and warm-hearted story from the 1950s. An adventurous couple from Hamburg/Germany starts on a trip around the world - with their "Goggomobil", a German mini car from the 50s. They travel through Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe - always well dressed and open for all kinds of contacts with the locals. The movie, a box office winner in 1964, had long been forgotten and was found again and restored lately. Peter and Marlotta are still alive and still together. If you can maintain your love on a "Goggo" trip around the world you can be sure that it is deep enough for a whole life. Watch this movie and enjoy a time when even a trip to the neighboring country was an adventure - let alone a 5-year journey around the globe...
Nelken in Aspik (1976)
Foolish movie
Armin Mueller-Stahl is certainly one of the best-known and internationally acknowledged actors of the former GDR - yet this movie cannot be regarded as one of his highlights. The story about the surprising promotion of an adman - due to the fact that he can only mumble after having lost some teeth - is really foolish and does not reflect in any way the reality of the country. It is not very funny to see Mueller-Stahl footling around. Even as a parable on the PR business, the movie does not really suit. Wouldn't it provide a couple of good laughs - for example regarding the GDR airline "DDAir" - the whole opus would have to be considered an annoyance. All in all: Save your time and don't watch this film.
Ein Lord am Alexanderplatz (1967)
Light but god entertainment
Erwin Geschonneck can be regarded one of the most successful and beloved actors in East Germany. Unfortunately, he never achieved the fame he deserved in reunified Germany - best highlighted by the fact that German TV did not even use the opportunity of his 100th birthday to honor him with a retrospective. Geschonneck is a marriage swindler in West Germany who comes back to his native East Berlin in order to retire and dedicate his remaining time to his daughter. Yet, she is just a chip off the old block and works in the same "business". Father and daughter both try to get some money out of it while the police already tries to tighten the sling... The interaction between Geschonneck and his fabulous co-stars is really worthwhile watching. For me, this is one of the best comedies produced by East German DEFA studios.