Matthais Matschke Movies
- 2007
A holiday celebration with the extended family gets stretched to the breaking point in this comedy from Germany. Sara (Martina Gedeck) is happily married to Jan (Heino Ferch), though this wasn't always the case -- Sara is Jan's second wife, while Sara has three ex-husbands, Gunnar (Andreas Windhuis), Andi (Roeland Wiesnekker) and Erich (Rainer Sellien), and she and Jan are raising children from each of their previous marriages. Jan is less than thrilled with the prospect of spending the holidays with Sara's mother (Petra Kelling), but things get worse when he learns his wife has planned a surprise for Christmas eve -- they'll be joined by Gunnar, Andi and Erich, as well as Erich's new wife Pauline (Meret Becker), Andi's current spouse Rita (Jasmin Tabatabai) and his own ex-wife, Eva (Rosa Enskat). To call the atmosphere uncomfortable is an understatement, and things only get worse when Sara announces she's pregnant, which is quite troubling for Jan since he's been waiting for the right time to tell her he had a vasectomy several months before. Directed by Vanessa Jopp, Meine Schoene Bescherung (aka Messy Christmas) is a remake of the 1999 Swedish hit Tomten ar far till alla barnen (aka In Bed With Santa). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martina Gedeck, Heino Ferch, (more)
- 2007
A few skirmishes from the ongoing battle between men and women are documented in this romantic comedy from Germany. Jan (Benno Fuermann) and Katrin (Jessica Schwarz) are a couple who literally met by accident -- attorney Jan was on a date with a woman he'd just met, Melanie (Annika Kuhl), when publisher Katrin bumped her car into Jan's, scraping the paint and sending him into a rage. While Melanie soon found herself infatuated with Jan's friend Ruediger (Matthias Matschke), Jan and Katrin's argument was the first step in a relationship that finds them living together two years later. While Melanie and Ruediger are happily married, things aren't quite so rosy for Jan and Katrin -- his head has been turned by Angie (Nadja Becker), a sexy if intellectually challenged woman working at his office, while Katrin has struck up a cozy friendship with handsome writer Jonathan Armbruster (Uwe Ochsenknecht). As Katrin ponders an offer from Jonathan to join him on a business trip to the United States, Jan wonders if he should act on his desires for Angie and Ruediger begins getting cold feet as Melanie discovers she's pregnant with the couple's first child. Warum maenner nicht zuhoeren und frauen schlect Einparken (aka Why Men Don't Listen And Women Can't Park) was inspired by a successful series of self-help books by Allan & Barbara Pease; an American film also drawn from their books is expected to be released in 2008. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Schwarz, Matthais Matschke, (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)
What to Do in Case of Fire is a stylish German comedy from director Gregor Schnitzler. A 20-year-old bomb goes off in an abandoned mansion in present day Berlin, and all the evidence implicates a a group of anarchists that planted the explosives in the late 1980s . By this time, however, most of the original group have become hip urban professionals who don't want to be associated with revolutionary activity. With the police hot on their trail, they reunite for the first time in 12 years to plot a scheme to avoid jail. Starring Til Schweiger, Martin Feifel, and Sebastian Blomberg. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Til Schweiger, Doris Schretzmayer, (more)
