Horst in Translation ([email protected]) This almost 10-year-old movie is a definite contender for longest German film in recent years. It easily passes the 150-minute mark and yet manages to drag on only very few occasions. Most of the film is well done and will have you curious about what is gonna happen next. A lot of that is thanks to lead actors Jürgen Vogel and Sabine Timoteo. I also liked Zapatka's performance while I thought Hennicke was fairly forgettable. The film is directed by Matthias Glasner and also written by him with the help of Judith Angerbauer and Vogel himself.Let me say that this is a very graphic movie. Vogel plays a convicted sex offender and in the first 10 minutes we already see how he rapes a young woman. A similar scene happens at the end of the movie and that is by far not everything. No taboos here and the ending is very tough to watch as well. Yet, it never feels that these scenes were just included for the sake of it. They all serve a purpose. Even if we know the main character is a violent monster, we still feel with him and hope he can be cured and will not commit any crimes again, maybe even become happy with Timoteo's character.The movie takes place in Berlin, but as a Berlin resident, I have to say the references were not that big. I only remember a metro station sign. It's all about the question if he can defeat his evil desires and choose love over all the temptation that constantly seems to follow him. My favorite scene is maybe near the end when he realizes what he has done and what is going to happen to him (again) in the bathroom. Maybe the best-acted scene from Vogel's career. In terms of impact, the ending is very important too. I liked how joggers just ran by not realizing the drama that had just taken place. Also the decision of Vogel's character is also a very clever reference to the film's title. I am not sure if I would watch this film anytime soon again, but it I certainly recommend it if you are interested in the subject, appreciate films with little dialog and can deal with the heavy material. Finally, i want to add that I very much liked the way "Ave Maria" was used here.

drmarre One of the worst movies I have ever seen. Inconsistent story line, way too long, camera shots that last forever, mute characters, scenes that have nothing to do with the story, etc. E.g. why do we have to watch the protagonist practicing his martial arts moves? Especially when it's a bad move like when he teaches his girlfriend to defend herself from being choked. I hope no female viewer will memorize that move, because it will not work at all but even put her in greater danger.A typical poor German movie, I have seen many of this kind. Heavy stuff, always trying to explain the world to us, and/or trying to educate the audience when it is not called for.The story could have been told in 90 minutes (max). But it drags on and on and on.But the worst is the sound, there is a constant background noise. The sound editor should be put in jail for this masterpiece, at least he should not edit another movie.What a waste of time and money.Dr. Marre (ph.d.guy)

user-7767 I would not like to give a summary of the impulsive scenes or the techniques used in the film. I do refrain from talking about the movie as a logical construction. Anyway, that is exactly what was done at Ludwigshafen's 'Festival des Deutschen Films' - trying to pull the discussion onto a more emotional level, the director himself and the two protagonists failed. which stands for the extreme distance people (and eve the cast) seem to be able to keep having watched the movie. This lets me conclude that the movie, although displaying one part of human life/struggle, was unable to move people's substance.. This is the first movie that made me doubt, if the medium 'movie' can really reach people's core. Not even the realistic display of rape seems to be enough to touch people.

tkam Just saw this at the Tribeca Film Festival and it's one of the most intelligent, raw, intense and thought provoking films I've ever seen. It's unfortunate that some audience members and critics will focus on the graphic scenes of rape, tender lovemaking, masturbation and emotional trauma. The movie ultimately is about the extreme strength and fragility of personal will. We're shown how one person's surfacing unconditional love strengthens that person's will enough to accept and (heart wrenchingly) and not stop the complete relinquishing of another's personal will. Heady stuff, but very cleanly done. The two lead performers, Jürgen Vogel & Sabine Timoteo, fully inhabit and bring to surface the deeply-buried emotional chaos and trajectories of their characters. (The brilliance of their work would be lost on audience members who aren't used to understanding different cultures, i.e.: Germans cool, thoughtful communication style.) Their performances are nothing short of phenomenal.If you love great film making, see this. But brace yourself for a very compelling and intense 2.75 albeit efficient hours. You will be blown away. I found it very insightful and moving.