Sven Pippig Movies
An embittered, 80-year-old piano teacher working in a women's prison takes on the most challenging student in her enduring career in director Chris Kraus' low-key musical drama. For years, Miss Krueger (Monica Bleibtreu) has been teaching classical piano to some of the most hardened female prisoners in all of Germany, but upon meeting brooding new inmate Jenny (Hannah Herzsprung), Miss Krueger finally seems to have found the one student she can't break through to -- until she hears Jenny play, that is. A former piano prodigy whose abusive childhood prompted her to neglect her natural gift for music in the name of survival, Jenny is a violent offender whose notorious temper has, as an adult, repeatedly landed her behind bars. Though she does still display considerable talent on the ivory, her decidedly antisocial behavior compelled the troubled prisoner to repeatedly sabotage opportunities to take part in recitals that would, at the very least, provide a momentary respite from her grim day-to-day existence. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monika Bleibtreu, Hannah Herzsprung, (more)
- 2003
Writer/director Christian Petzold's drama Wolfsburg details how one decision can destroy a life. One day while on a drive, Philipp (Benno Fürmann) becomes involved in a fight with his fiancée, Katja (Antje Westermann). While he is distracted, he runs into a boy. Instead of stopping, he continues home. Although the couple momentarily salvages their rocky relationship, the boy dies. Laura (Nina Hoss), the victim's mother, attempts to track down the man responsible for her son's death. Eventually she and Philipp meet, but they are unaware of their link. They begin a relationship that lasts until the truth is revealed. Wolfsburg was screened at the Berlin Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Benno Fürmann, Nina Hoss, (more)
Terror is lurking online in this thriller directed by William Malone, who also helmed the 1999 remake of House on Haunted Hill. Mike Reilly (Stephen Dorff) is a NYPD detective who has been assigned to look into a string of murders which have taken place in Manhattan, with Terry Houston (Natascha McElhone), a researcher from the city Department of Health, lending her assistance whether Reilly likes it or not. Reilly discovers that all four victims have one thing in common -- they were all men who logged on to the same Internet website exactly 48 hours before they were killed. It seems the website features a sexy woman offering kinky fun to those who enter her domain, but clicking the wrong icon takes users on a journey into fear. Reilly decides the only way to find out the truth is to head into the website and find out what follows for the next two days -- if he can make it out alive. Fear dot com also stars Stephen Rea, Jeffrey Combs, and Udo Kier. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stephen Dorff, Natascha McElhone, (more)
- 2002
Drawing favorable comparisons to Alfred Hitchcock upon inital release in its native Germany despite having been originally made-for-television, director Christian Petzold's sophomore effort concerns a middle-aged lawyer whose tentative romance sets the stage for an elaborate con. Attracted to Leyla (Nina Hoss) after a chance encounter at a public pool, lawyer Thomas (Andre Hennicke) soon works up the courage to ask out the comely blonde who, much to his surprise, accepts. Though their first date seems headed downhill when she arrives late at the restaurant just before closing time, the couple make the best of things by heading to Thomas' place for pizza and a few drinks - shortly after which finds Leyla falling asleep on Thomas' couch. Awakening to find both Leyla and his laptop missing, Thomas begins a frantic search for both the woman and the vital case files now in her possession. When Thomas' investigation begins to hint at an elaborage scam, he tracks Leyla as she begins to size up her next target; a factory worker and former client of Thomas'. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nina Hoss, André Hennicke, (more)
- 2001
With this episode, Hallee Hirsh takes over from Yvonne Zima in the role of Rachel Greene, the rebellious daughter of Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards). Rachel pops up unexpectedly in Chicago, announcing that she's run away from her mother and that she intends to move in with Doug. Elsewhere, an outraged Weaver (Laura Innes) fires Malucci (Erik Palladino) after he is caught in the middle of an on-the-job sexual indiscretion (in the back of an ambulance!); Carter (Noah Wyle) performs a "reverse burglary" on Abby's (Maura Tierney) behalf; and Corday (Alex Kingston) nods off during surgery. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1999
In the port town of Hamburg, Germany, Floyd (Frank Giering) disappoints his sanctimonious boss by announcing that he's shipping out to South Africa and Singapore now that his two-year probation for an unspecified juvenile offense has been completed. When he shares the news with his devoted friends Chubby (Antoine Monot Jr.), a mechanic, and Ricco (Florian Lukas), a fast-food cook and would-be b-boy, they can't comprehend their thoughtful friend's willingness to trade camaraderie for a wider view of the world. Overcoming their anger and bewilderment, the guys decide to spend one last night with Floyd, but the problem, as always, is how to find some fun. A succession of fast-food restaurants, parking garages, and local watering holes chronicles the inherent boredom of life in the provinces. But a run-in with a convention of dragster-racing Elvis impersonators sends the boys and their friend Telsa Julia Hummer on a series of adventures that veers from the farcical to the almost-tragic. Absolute Giganten was screened at the 1999 Flanders Film Festival and thereafter received limited international distribution. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Frank Giering, Guido A. Schick, (more)
