Matthias Habich Movies

Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes star in The Hours director Stephen Daldry's haunting period drama concerning the relationship between a 15-year-old German boy and a mysterious woman twice his age, and the way that it grows doubly complex when the man reencounters the woman years later and discovers a shocking truth about her past. Based on author Bernhard Schlink's best-selling novel of the same name, the film opens on the character of Michael Berg (Ralph Fiennes) in middle age -- cold, remote, and emotionally withdrawn. It then moves back in time to 1950s Berlin, where ailing teenager Michael (now played by David Kross) has fallen ill with fever, and is discovered in the street by Hanna, a woman in her thirties. After Michael recovers, the two immediately lapse into a torrid affair and Michael falls prey to the confusion of his own burgeoning sexuality. Their liaisons are often marked by Hanna's request that Michael read to her (hence the title). Later, when Michael returns to Hanna's flat and finds it deserted, her absence becomes an emotional blow for which he is completely unprepared, and indeed, scarred for life. The film then moves forward in time by eight years. Michael -- now a law student -- walks into a courtroom and comes across Hanna, one of a series of Nazi prison guards being tried for murderous war crimes during World War II. As he watches her on the witness stand, memories of their past experiences together bring him to the point of realization concerning a startling, long-buried truth about Hanna -- and Michael knows that if he divulges this information, it could modify the prison sentence handed out and dramatically alter her fate. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The last ten days of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime are seen through the eyes of a young woman in his employ in this historical drama from Germany. Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara) was 22 years old when, in the fall of 1942, she was hired to be personal secretary to Adolf Hitler (Bruno Ganz). In April of 1945, Junge was still working for Hitler as forces were bearing down on Germany and the leader retreated to a secret bunker in Berlin for what would prove to be the last ten days of his life, as well as that of the Third Reich. As Hitler's mistress Eva Braun (Juliane Köhler) attempts to throw a cheerful birthday party for her man, Hitler's closest associates, including Heinrich Himmler (Ulrich Noethen), Joseph Goebbels (Ulrich Matthes), and Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), urge him to flee the city with only Goebbels maintaining any illusions that the Third Reich has any hope of survival. Hitler refuses to leave Berlin, and he spends his final days ranting and raving to Junge, blaming all around him as he tries to understand where his leadership went wrong. Meanwhile, Goebbels and his wife round up their six children and bring them to the bunker as Berlin begins to topple, determined to take their lives rather than face the Allies after Germany's certain defeat. Der Untergang (aka The Downfall) was based in part on the memoirs of the real-life Traudl Junge, whose experiences also formed the basis of the 2002 documentary Im Toten Winkel: Hitlers Sekretarin (aka Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A turning point in 20th century war history is the focus of this fact-based account of the 1942-1943 battle of Stalingrad, in which the Germans were finally defeated by Russian influence -- one of the bloodiest battles in World War II history. The film stars Jude Law as Vassili, a marksman from the Urals who is transported to Stalingrad in 1942, and a master German sniper, Major Koenig (Ed Harris). Koenig, an expert German sniper, is determined to eliminate his formidable opponent by any means necessary; meanwhile, Vassili has joined forces with Danilov (Joseph Fiennes), a young Russian political adversary, who is impressed by Vassili's skills and raises his profile in the Soviet Union. Both Vassili and Danilov become involved with Tanya (Rachel Weisz), whose Jewish parents have been captured by the Germans and have forced her to take up with the men on a sniper expedition. Koenig and Vassili begin to develop traps for each other, until fate inevitably must bring the two sharpshooters together. This large-scale production, financed mostly by Teuton companies, also features Bob Hoskins as Nikita Krushchev and Ron Perlman as an aging Russian sniper. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

Dr. Crusius is a dour judge who manages to alienate an entire legal community with his arrogance and ever-smoldering anger. Abel is a freewheeling, hotshot young attorney who uses unconventional methods to win his cases. This German courtroom drama chronicles what happens when the two are thrown together in a difficult situation. Abel is first seen helping a client beat a traffic ticket in Crusius' court. The humorless judge (a sore loser) is less than pleased and gives Abel a stern lecture. The two meet again when the judge is suddenly accused of murdering a young prostitute. All the evidence seems clear cut. More trouble for the old judge comes when all those he has alienated get revenge by refusing to represent him. Unfortunately for young Abel, he is given no choice. Before he can do anything though, the attorney must learn the carefully guarded truth about the judge. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A miserable couple attempts to live together in miserable surroundings in this heavy Austrian drama. Both lovers are middle-aged and have been involved ten years. After all that time, Marie and Max have finally decided to shack up. Marie's mother is unhappy that they do not marry. The couple decide to live in an old warehouse, that is unfortunately lacking in basic amenities. No sooner do they move in than the bickering begins. He picks at her forgetfulness and she sulkily complains because there is no hot water. Max gets angry and tries to leave, but she hides his keys and forces him to stay and hash things out. They have heavy issues to face concerning children and the possibility that both have been having affairs. Max is a bureaucrat and keeps many files in their home. She gets into the files and discovers they are detailed accounts of his many affairs and contain many unflattering remarks about her, causing Marie to seek revenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Bear witness to the rise of the most corrupt and ruthless ruler ever to preside over the Roman Empire as filmmaker Paul Marcus tells the tale of Nero's unlikely ascent to the throne, and his historical fall at the hands of his own vengeful kingdom. After murdering his sister's husband on grounds of conspiracy, the increasingly incoherent Caligula exiles his grieving sibling and sets into motion a devious plan that will one-day find her son Lucius presiding over all of Rome. Beset on all sides by tyranny and bloodlust, Lucius rises to power as Nero while facing the constant wrath of all who oppose his legacy. His paranoia soon reaching a fever pitch, Nero struggles to maintain power as his army, his people, and his own mother, ultimately turn against him. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Europeans (and Americans) have a horror of their citizens "going native" in non-Western counties. It is considered to be a form of insanity, demonstrating a lack of character in those who do it. In this story, Anton (Tim Roth), an English writer, visits Ethiopia with his girlfriend Julie (Marie Matheron), and chances upon a house once inhabited by the French decadent poet Rimbaud. Soon enough, he has abandoned her and taken up with the daughter of the impressive old wise-woman who owns the house. He is growing ever more interested in local customs and ways. Despite urgent pleas from Julia, Anton progressively divests himself of his western lifestyle and manners, and eventually heads out into the desert. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Martin (Matthias Habich) has a settled and materially successful life. During his birthday party, he begins to have qualms about the whole thing, and escapes a life that has suddenly become claustrophobic by going to Paris. There, he has a quick one-night stand with a young girl, an encounter which he wishes was more meaningful to her. He attempts to see her again, and eventually finds that she has been injured while participating in a political protest. Meanwhile, his wife understands what is going on and sympathizes with him - which only adds to his frustrations. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Pierre (Mattias Habich) is a Montreal photojournalist who returns from Nicaragua to find that his ten-year menage a trois is over. Sarah (Johanne-Marie Tremblay) and David (Michel Voita) have moved out, leaving the bisexual Pierre wondering why. Haunted by his mid-life crisis, he becomes obsessed with trying to find why his two lovers have left him. After an awkward meeting with Sarah and David, Pierre begins a new relationship with the young deaf-mute Quentin (Jean-Francois Pichette). ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Considered more as a vehicle to display Jean-Paul Belmondo than as an independent, wartime action story, Les Morfalous rides the crest of the French actor's popularity and delivers a tale that highlights his persona. Belmondo is a member of the French Foreign Legion sent with others to Tunisia in 1943 to recover a fortune in gold from a certain French bank before the Germans get to it. Then the Legionnaires are ambushed by German troops and the few left alive manage to get hold of the treasure but they cannot agree on what to do with their booty. Between their disagreements and the surrounding German army, the action heats up. Belmondo fans will be disappointed that he does not perform any of his famous stunts in this film -- always a drawing card -- and some viewers may find the humor too crude. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi once more explores the dilemma of intellectualism at the expense of humanity in 1982's Imperative. The story concerns math professor Robert Powell, who feels that there is something lacking in his ever-so-precise life. What is missing is truth, specifically philosophical truth. Thus he philosophizes at great length, allowing director Zanussi plenty of room for didactic but little room for warmth. Leading ladies Brigette Fossey and Leslie Caron occasionally melt through the cold logic of Imperative. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The classic German Romantic novel of Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Memoirs of a Good-for-Nothing, written in 1826, provides the basis for this film. The screenplay was written before the East German film based on the same book was filmed, but it took four more years for the director to come up with backers for this version. In the story, set in the late 18th century, Good-for-Nothing (Jacques Breuer), a lad who is a bit of a scoundrel, leaves his father's mill, has a wealth of adventures with noblewomen and rogues, has his heart broken at least once, and eventually settles down to a quieter life. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi