Florian Panzner
A handsome but disaffected college graduate unable to deal with the pressures of the ultra-competitive job market in director Christoph Hochhaüsler's dark coming of age comedy. Armin (Constantin von Jascheroff) certainly has the brains to get a good-paying job, but the pressure from his parents to find gainful employment seems to be pushing him strait over the edge. After witnessing a tragic car accident and phoning in a false confession to the local newspaper, Armin finds his darkest impulses slowly taking control as he scrawls obscene graffiti on the bathroom wall, fantasizes about violent crimes, and has forced-sex with a vicious, leather-clad motorcycle gang. The trouble is, Armin can't distinguish where his fantasy world ends and where his reality begins anymore, and the danger that lurks beneath his innocent surface is about to get the best of him. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Constantin Von Jascheroff, Manfred Zapatka, (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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benno Fürmann, Nina Hoss, (more)
- 2002
A dark and gruesome thriller reminiscent of David Fincher's Seven, this freshman effort from German director Robert Schwentke finds an unmotivated young detective roped into helping a seasoned veteran solve a case in which people are literally skinned for their tattoos and brutally murdered. Schrader (August Diehl) is a lazy, hard-partying cop who barely passed his academy training, only to settle in for an undemanding desk job upon graduation. His bid for the easy life is soon spoiled when Chief Inspector Minks (Christian Redl) blackmails him into working for homicide after catching him in possession of drugs at an illegal nightclub. Soon discovering a group of underground art enthusiasts who covet a series of 12 tattoos detailed by a mysterious and since-deceased Japanese artist, the duo subsequently discovers a heretofore-unknown 13th tattoo by the artist adorning the body of beautiful Maya (Nadeshda Brennicke). As Schrader enters into a dangerous and heated affair with Maya, the case tumbles headlong into a tense climax when the group discovers that their collection is incomplete. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- August Diehl, Christian Redl, (more)
The true story of Hasso Herschel inspired this epic Cold War drama from Germany. Harry Melchoir (Heino Ferch) was a respected German athlete when the Berlin Wall forcibly divided the nation in 1961. Unwilling to cooperate with the East German authorities, Melchoir escaped to West Berlin, along with his friends Matthis (Sebastian Koch), Vic (Mehmet Kurtulus), and Fred (Felix Eitner). When he fled to West Germany, Melchoir was forced to leave his family behind, and he fears for the fate of his sister Lotte (Alexandra Maria Lara). Eager to free Lotte from East German rule, Melchoir strikes upon the idea of building a tunnel under the wall that will allow her to leave the country undetected; Melchoir recruits Matthis, Vic, and Fred to help him, along with a resourceful woman named Fritzi (Nicolette Krebitz). It isn't long before Melchoir and his compatriots discover that many others want to help their friends and family escape the East German regime, and the simple tunnel turns into a massive building and engineering project that's both ambitious and fraught with danger for all parties concerned. Der Tunnel was produced as a two-part miniseries for German television; an edited feature-length version was prepared for possible theatrical release outside Europe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heino Ferch, Nicolette Krebitz, (more)
