Axel Milberg Movies

German-born filmmaker Detlef Bothe writes and directs this low-key drama concerning a young couple who head out to the south of France for a short holiday, only to discover how family secrets can emerge to make things difficult at the most inopportune times. Julie and Marcel are two college students seeking to get away from their studies and spend a few quiet days in the country. As luck would have it, Julie's mother Susan lives in a cozy little home just a few hours away. En route to their destination, soothing silence rapidly gives way to constant bickering as the young couple gradually finds their common ground marred by treacherous trails and conversational landmines. Julie is defensive because she never really knew her father, and Marcel has always distanced himself from family for fear that others will discover his father is a drug addict. Later, upon arriving at their destination, Julie is shocked to discover that her estranged father has not moved abroad as she was once led to believe, but instead lives in surprisingly close proximity to Susan. Regardless of his close geographical proximity, however, Julie's reclusive father soon proves to harbor a few very dangerous secrets. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The question is just who's setting up whom in this stylish crime drama from Germany. A woman named Melody (Nicolette Krebitz) is making a drug buy when to the surprise of the dealers, she pulls a gun and police burst into the room. Despite outward appearances, Melody is not a cop -- she's being blackmailed by Kahnitz (Dietrich Hollinderbaumer), a police chief who uses her as a decoy for various assignments. Ben (Marc Hosemann), a safecracker, is about to be released from jail, and Kahnitz wants to tie him to another crime involving Ben and his partner Dennis (Martin Gladde), who was in on the job that sent Ben to prison but managed to avoid capture. Claiming to be a friend of Dennis, Melody (under Kahnitz's instructions) meets Ben shortly after he hits the street and tries to encourage him to pull another job. She also seduces Ben and introduces him to Percy (Axel Milberg) and Aurelia (Sunnyi Melles), a couple who have their own ties to the crimes. Long Hello and Short Goodbye was adapted from a screenplay by American writer Jeff Vintar -- perhaps appropriate, given the frequent comparisons made between director Rainer Kaufmann's work and that of American filmmaker Brian DePalma. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this German comedy-drama, adapted from a Dietrich Schwanitz novel, Hamburg sociology professor Hanno Hackmann (Heiner Lauterbach) pleases his social-climbing wife Gabrielle (Sibylle Canonica) when he reveals he intends to compete against corrupt Schacht (Rudolf Kowalski) for position of university president. But what about his affair with drama student Babsi (Sandra Speichert)? Babsi, portraying a rape victim in a college play, is dropped from the cast, has a breakdown, and lands in a psych ward. This chain of events prompts rumors she was sexually harassed and innocent Hackmann is the suspect. Naturally, Schacht latches onto the rumor in order to crush his opponent prior to the university president election. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

The literal translation of the film's title is "To Err is Manly," the meaning of which soon becomes apparent. A lively comedy of sex and relationships, it centers on Thomas, a prominent Munich lawyer who wonders about the origins of his children after a doctor informs him that he has been sterile all his life. Comparing his two kids to pictures of friends, he narrows down the suspects to two possible candidates, both of whom he calls up and invites for a little visit. Needing to talk to someone, he confides in his closest friend Johannes, a priest. A reformed playboy himself, Johannes goes to Bettina, Thomas's beloved wife, and tells him about the scheme. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

For Susi, the Saturday before Christmas is the longest day of the year, whatever date it bears. This year, it seems even longer. Not only are the customers who come to her combination gas station and snack bar on the way to or from shopping at the mall unusually difficult to please today, but she is getting hammered at by her mother and her ex-husband as well. The icing on the cake comes when she learns that her lease to operate the store is not being renewed, and she must be out by January 1. Every effort she makes to speak to the mall's (honest) director fails, because his unscrupulous assistant wants it that way. Before long, Susi has accepted the help of a young punk who, hearing of her troubles, is willing to do almost anything to help her out. Since his "almost anything" includes yelling "fire" in the middle of the mall on the busiest shopping day of the year, things get even more hectic. Somewhere along the way, the fortyish divorcee and her disreputable-looking ally discover that they care for one another romantically. This fast-paced German-language comedy reportedly had its viewers rolling in the aisles. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Hanna Schygulla and Angela Winkler are the stars of the German psychological drama Friends and Husbands. Having both been burned by unhappy relationships with men, Schygulla and Winkler become more and more reliant upon each other. The men in their lives can't come to grips with their strong friendship, and begin writing off Schygulla and Winkler as "oddballs." As in most of her films, writer/director Margarethe von Trotta probes the unspoken human complexities that draw people together. Von Trotta also weaves a political subtext into the proceedings: it isn't immediately obvious, but it's there all the same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide