Marianne Sägebrecht Movies
Marianne Sägebrecht played a pioneering role in establishing the Rubenesque woman as a leading lady. In physical build so unlike the stereotypical Hollywood starlet, Sägebrecht's luminescent beauty shone through the persona of the full-figured star, in movies such as Sugarbaby (1985) and Bagdad Cafe (1987). These two Percy Adlon films popularized the German-born actress with American audiences, and launched her Hollywood career.Sägebrecht's stage and film appearances began long before Hollywood. Born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1947, Sägebrecht was well known on Germany's alternative theater circuit as an actress and singer. In German film, she worked on both sides of the camera, as a producer and actress. It was during this time that she began a collaboration with Adlon, who wrote parts specifically tailored to the mystique of Sägebrecht, whose 30-something overweight characters are a mix of funny and seductive.
In the offbeat film Sugarbaby, the actress plays a mortician's assistant who is infatuated with a subway conductor, played by Eisi Gulp. That performance won accolades, and was followed by Bagdad Cafe. The quirky cast of characters, which included an aging Jack Palance, brought love, laughter, and humanity to a run-down diner in the Mojave Desert. The vulnerable sincerity of Sägebrecht's character won over the cynical proprietress of the Baghdad Cafe and the viewing public as well. So great was the film's appeal that the actual diner in the desert became a mecca for movie buffs offering homage to the cult classic.
Sägebrecht starred in one more Percy Adlon film the following year. The hilarious Rosalie Goes Shopping (1989) finds Sägebrecht in Stuttgart, AR, where she is a German transplant with a shopping jones and a credit card.
Meanwhile, Sägebrecht appeared in a series of black comedies, including Paul Mazursky's political satire Moon Over Parador (1989), and the Hollywood production of the darkly humorous War of the Roses (1989), directed by Danny De Vito. She also appeared in Martha and Me (1990), Jiri Weiss' bittersweet story about a Jewish family in Czechoslovakia during the days of the Holocaust. Playing the title role in the last-mentioned film won Sägebrecht the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival.
Sägebrecht continued her work in art films in a number of international vehicles, such as the British horror flick Dust Devil (1993), directed by Richard Stanley; Daphna Kastner's Spanish Fly (1998); and the acclaimed Jeroen Krabbé film Left Luggage, made in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United States. In 1999, Claude Zidi's visionary film Astérix et Obélix Contra César, the story of comic book heroes brought to life, featured the versatile actress. Sägebrecht brought her thoughtful characterizations and universal appeal to each role of her career. The actress remained a compelling figure in film at the close of the 20th century, while also working in the medium of television in her native Germany. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1999
Asterix and Obelix, the French comic book heroes created by René Goscinny and Albert Underzo (their adventures have sold 280 million copies to date in Europe), are brought to the big screen in their first live-action adventure. Set in 50 B.C., Asterix (Christian Clavier) and Obelix (Gérard Depardieu) are a pair of comedic heroes living in a small but well-protected village in Gaul, where a magic potion concocted by Druids turns the townsfolk into mighty soldiers. When Roman troops carve a path through Gaul to reach the English Channel, Caesar (Gottfried John) and his aide de camp Detritus (Roberto Benigni) discover the secret elixir and capture the Druid leader who knows its formula, and Asterix and Obelix are sent off to rescue them. Shot in Brittany, Bavaria, and Arpajon, Asterix et Obelix Contre Cesar brings these cartoon characters to life on a grand scale; it was reportedly the most expensive French-language film ever, at a cost of 274 million francs ($48 million). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christian Clavier, Gérard Depardieu, (more)
Actor Jeroen Krabbe made his directorial debut with this Dutch-Belgian-U.S. drama examining anti-Semitic attitudes in 1972 Antwerp. Free-spirited 20-year-old student Chaja (Laura Fraser) has a long-haired revolutionary lover and sometimes visits her parents (Maximilian Schell, Marianne Sagebrecht), both concentration camp survivors. Evading eviction from her apartment, Chaja finds work as a nanny with the Kalmans, an Orthodox Hassidic family. Initially rebelling against the rigid traditions, she eventually comes to terms with their way of life as she teaches their four-year-old to follow his father's doctrines. Adapted from Carl Friedman's novel The Shovel and the Loom, this film was shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Laura Fraser, Isabella Rossellini, (more)
Daphna Kastner directed this romantic comedy-drama, set in Spain. Interviewing Madrid men, journalist Zoe (Kastner) intends to expand her magazine article into a book. Her own experiences with men, however, haven't exactly made her an expert, but possibilities arise when she meets straight-talking Antonio (Toni Canto) and former professor Carl Livingston (Martin Donovan), owner of a Madrid bookstore. Shown at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daphna Kastner, Toni Canto, (more)
- 1997
A prominent French surgeon of Jewish heritage (Phillippe Noiret) suffers a massive heart attack in the film's prologue and as his life hangs in the balance, scenes from his life growing up in Algiers flash by. The resulting drama recalls his life and in so doing pays homage to the contributions of his Mamma Titine (Sophia Loren) in giving him the strength and skill to overcome poverty and the stigma of his religion in his homeland. The ailing Joseph Levy's reminiscence begins when he was a 13-year-old student during WW II. Though one of the brightest in his school, he is expelled following the enactment of new anti-Semitic laws. With somewhat of a struggle, he is able to be put back into school. At home, Levy seems to be Mamma Titine's favorite, even though he has four other siblings. She is a strong, supportive woman who without complaint raises her children alone while her husband works in the Paris civil service under a false name. Though an essentially honest woman, Titine will stop at nothing to ensure that she meets her children's emotional and physical needs. As the months pass into years, Joseph gradually comes of age and learns subtle ways of rebelling. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sophia Loren, Philippe Noiret, (more)
Based on a novel by French author Michel Tournier, this drama chronicles the redemption of Abel, a French POW responsible for kidnapping dozens of young boys for recruitment by the Nazi SS during WW II. The film opens with black-and-white shots of Abel's childhood in Paris. The year is 1925 and already he has problems getting along with teachers and students. Then he is befriended by the portly young Nestor. Abel loses his only friend during a terrible fire that demolishes the school and leaves him convinced that he has been blessed by fate to survive. Fourteen years quickly pass; the story turns to color, and the now hulking Abel is seen working in a Paris garage. He also spends time with his girlfriend Rachel. It is she who playfully dubs him "ogre" because he is rather rough in bed. Abel has always loved children. He was good friends with little Martine, until she falsely accuses him of rape and he is sent to prison. During the war, he is freed by the German invaders who involve him with the upper echelons of the SS and give him a job as a hunting assistant on Goering's Bavarian estate. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Malkovich, Marianne Sägebrecht, (more)
- 1995
This European drama is adapted from Simone de Beauvioir's novel of the same name. It is set in post WW II France and tells the story of renowned theatrical actress, Regina, a temperamental diva who feels a great hole in her life until she goes on a provincial tour and meets an enigmatic stranger who is too busy looking inward to notice the world around him. Regina becomes obsessed with this man, and learns that he is an amnesiac. She follows him, and eventually they hesitantly begin an affair. Much of the story centers around their resulting conversations about love, life and death. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1994
This unique, erotic film is a compilation of four separate vignettes done by four different artists. The first episode, "Let's Talk about Love," focuses on a phone-sex worker, Rosie, who finds herself attracted to a regular caller. The story focuses upon their conversations and upon the revenge she exacts from him after she learns the truth. In the second, "Taboo Parlor," two lesbians plan to go out and make it with a man. They go to Taboo Parlor, a local club which is managed by Hilde and Franz. In the third episode, "Final Call," a teacher who gets attacked on a train begins a relationship with her rescuer. The fourth episode, " Wonton Soup," examines an Australian-born Chinese man and his ex-girlfriend from Hong Kong, who reunite after years apart. In an effort to reconnect, the man prepares an evening of gourmet food and Chinese sexual techniques for the ex-girlfriend. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bryan Cranston
- 1994
A wife finds herself highly expendable as her husband and his lover continually bungle their attempts at murder in this black comedy. Mona, the wife, is a woman of substance who is forever trying to coerce her husband Eddie, a selfish, shallow creep, into making love to her. He refuses. She goes to the hospital for liposuction. While she is gone, Eddie saves the life of a woman attempting suicide. She is the beautiful Rachel. They become lovers. When Mona returns, Eddie lies and tells her that Rachel will be her nurse. Realizing that Mona will figure it out soon, the two lovers decide to murder her first. They try burying her in the sand, tossing her into the garbage, towing her out to sea, but nothing works. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marianne Sägebrecht, Uwe Ochsenknecht, (more)
- 1993
Reviewers agreed that this cinematic disaster deserves an "A" for effort, at the very least, and also deserves its place on the shelves beside such astonishingly awful films as Plan 9 From Outer Space. In the story, the aged millionaire Barry Reilly (Mickey Rooney) lives on a huge estate in California. He observes the pleasant life led by his granddaughter's infant baby, and decides that this is the life for him. He gets his lawyer to craft a legal arrangement which will require his family to treat him in an exactly similar manner. That's just fine for a while, but after he gets hit in the head by some burglars, he finds he is unable to speak, and can only gurgle and coo. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mickey Rooney, Marianne Sägebrecht, (more)
In this stylish supernatural horror story, Hitch (Robert Burke), a mysterious loner, wanders the deserts of the African nation of Nambia as he searches for the lost and suicidal. Hitch is wanted by the police in connection with the death a woman whose blood was used in a strange magic ceremony. A shaman consulted by the police and a pathologist investigating the killing believe that Hitch is a "Dust Devil," an evil spirit who can shift shape at will, taking the form of a man when it's convenient. Meanwhile, Hitch encounters Wendy (Chelsea Field), a woman who is despondent after the collapse of her marriage. Wendy gives him a ride along a lonely highway, and later that night, as Wendy contemplates suicide, Hitch waits patiently outside her door. The next day, Wendy runs into Hitch again and casually looks through his bag to discover that it's filled with human fingers. Convinced that Hitch is no harmless eccentric, she tries to escape, but she discovers that he's difficult to get away from; meanwhile, Mark (Rufus Swart), Wendy's ex-husband, is searching for her, convinced that she's fallen victim to foul play. Dust Devil has been released in a number of different forms; the original European cut ran 125 minutes, while the American version, which features redubbed voices and a different narration, ran only 87. The "final cut" prepared by director Richard Stanley, meanwhile, is 103 minutes in length. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert John Burke, Chelsea Field, (more)
- 1989
- PG
Larger-than-life German actress Marianne Sagebrecht stars as Rosalie Greenspace, a German bride raising a wonderful family in Stuttgart, Arkansas who she delights in providing gift after gift of goodies that are procured by her newly acquired talent of buying via "ze vonderful credit card." The more she spends, the more clever she becomes at spending; the only problem is that she has virtually no money - the credit cards are all linked to fake names, accounts, addresses, et cetera. This spoof is a playful comment on America's consumerist frenzy. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Marianne Sägebrecht, Brad Davis, (more)
Divorce lawyer Danny De Vito warns his prospective client that the story he's about to tell isn't a pretty one, but the client listens with eager intensity -- as do the folks out there in the movie in the audience. The War of the Roses can best be described as a slapstick tragedy concerning the decline and literal fall of a marriage. After 17 years, Oliver (Michael Douglas) and Barbara (Kathleen Turner) Rose want a divorce. Not for this couple is there anything resembling a "civilized understanding": Barbara wants their opulent house, and Oliver isn't about to part with the domicile. Barbara nails the basement door shut while Oliver is downstairs, Oliver disrupts Barbara's fancy party by taking aim at the catered dinner, Barbara lays waste to Oliver's sports car....and so it goes, culminating in a disastrous showdown around, about and under the living room's fancy chandelier. DeVito and screenwriter Michael Leeson never let us forget that the couple's self-indulgent imbroglio exacts an awful price upon their children (Sean Astin and Heather Fairfield). The War of the Roses was adapted from the novel by Warren Adler. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, (more)
- 1989
Emil (Vaclav Chalupa as a teen, Ondrej Vetchy as an adult) has been naughty, and his family is at a loss about what to do with him. He's been dallying with the family maid. They decide to ship him off to spend time with his uncle Ernst Michel Piccoli), who married his family maid. The boy has a good relationship with his uncle, and a touching picture of Czech family life just at the advent of World War II emerges. Since Emil and Ernst are both Jewish, they are eventually carted away by the Nazis. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michel Piccoli, Marianne Sägebrecht, (more)
Jack Noah (Richard Dreyfuss) is all actor: Self-possessed, obsessive, vulnerable, and an addict for praise, his soul burns with "the craft." Having just finished a grade-Z straight-to-cable crime thriller in the fictional South American country of Parador, he gets the ultimate acting challenge (though it's more like an offer he can't refuse) from Roberto Strausman (Raul Julia), the Paradorian dictator's chief advisor. The challenge: impersonate the country's dictator, whose just died. Strausman knows just how to manipulate Noah: He takes him to a meat locker, shows him the director's body (actually Dreyfuss' brother, Lorin), threatens to kill him, and he brings clips of Noah's best reviews. Thus enticed, and bearing a striking resemblance to the man, Noah accepts the job. Under the exacting direction of Strausman, he follows the script precisely. Noah immediately enjoys the job's perks, not least of which is the dictator's scorching mistress, Madonna (Sonia Braga), but of course cannot conceal his real identity to her. A close call with Parador's revolutionaries and Madonna's brimming social conscience push Noah to take command of the role. He starts pushing a kinder, gentler social agenda, and incurs Strausman's wrath. It begins to look like Noah will play the dictator's last act, but a chance meeting with a stunt man friend (Michael Greene) inspires a caper that will change all of the characters' fates. ~ Nick Sambides, Jr., Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Dreyfuss, Raul Julia, (more)
This West German film is set in the California Desert. A husband-and-wife pair of Bavarian tourists become stranded when their car breaks down; after a quarrel, the wife, Marianne Sagebrecht, gathers her luggage and stalks off. She stops at the Bagdad Cafe, a fleapit truckstop run by outspoken C.C.H. Pounder, who is also having husband problems. The Cafe has become a magnet for some of truly odd character: temperamental Hispanic cook George Aguilar, tattoo artist Christine Kaufmann, and onetime Hollywood set designer Jack Palance. Despite obvious personality differences, Sagebrecht and Pounder become friends. Bagdad Cafe was later adapted into a short-lived American sitcom starring Jean Stapleton and Whoopi Goldberg. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marianne Sägebrecht, CCH Pounder, (more)
- 1987
In this German comedy, the proprietors of a Hamburg drag queen bar hope to bring in more customers by changing into a male-strip joint for female patrons. The bar manager and her friends begin choosing their handsome dancers. Among the new employees are a judge, a lonely petshop clerk, a student, a muscle-bound deaf-mute, a Turk, and one of their lovers. They call the bar "The Crazy Boys" and it is a big hit. Much of the story centers on the relationship between the dancers and their patrons. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Albert Heins, Udo Schenk, (more)
- 1985
This 83-minute experimental film takes on the possibly damaging aspects of a society that appears to be normal on the surface but can trample its more innocent, naive members without blinking. Novice director Friederike Pezold straps a camera onto her back and walks around the city to record everyday social activities such as shopping or discussing topics of human interest. Along with these scenes, she tacks on ditties and rhymes that poke holes in these simple routines, allowing viewers to perceive them from a non-traditional point of view. Clearly more for film buffs than the audiences out for Friday night entertainment, judgment on Pezold's results is up to each viewer.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marianne Sägebrecht
- 1985
- R
With a storyline that is stretched thin over its 87-minute running time, Zuckerbaby is about an overweight woman (Marianne Sagebrecht) who works in a mortuary, develops a crush on a married subway engineer (Eisi Gulp), and then does something about it. At first, the love-struck woman is content with just seeing the object of her infatuation. Then she seeks out the train driven by her "sugarbaby" so she will always ride on that particular subway. Next, she goes through a complex series of subterfuges to discover more about him and finds out that his wife will be out of town for a few weeks -- which in her mind, makes him "free." Eventually, she does get together with him -- but then what? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marianne Sägebrecht, Eisi Gulp, (more)
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