Miguel Hertz-Kestranek Movies
- 2002
Based on the exploits of two criminal brothers who eluded the authorities as they embarked on an ever more daring series of complex robberies, director Carlo Rola's tense crime drama follows the brothers as they steal their way through the Berlin of the 1920s. As burglars and safecrackers, Franz and Erich Sass (Ben Becker and Jürgen Vogel) embark on a series of small robberies in order to elude the all-seeing eye of the taxman. As their crimes escalate to include a bank where the Nazi's keep their substantial funds, the authorities quickly begin closing in while Franz and Erich plan their final heist and grand getaway. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Becker, Jürgen Vogel, (more)
- 1994
This nostalgic Austrian romantic drama, filmed in black and white, tells the story of two people from different walks of life who meet before the start of World War I. Tonino, an Italian fisherman, still copes with death of his wife and baby after a flu outbreak. He lives on an island and dreams of opening a spaghetti factory in America. Toinette is a blue-blooded woman who married a mean old manufacturer of munitions. They have a son whom Toinette adores. She meets Tonino while she spends the summer in Italy with her aunt the countess. Every day Robby is scheduled to visit Tonino's island. The two adults fall in love and Toinette will not go back to her husband. Instead she, he, and Robby end up in America where Tonino's dream comes true. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Stemberger
Originally a nine-hour British miniseries, this film on the last four decades in the life of Richard Wagner may have taken its long-winded cue from the lengthy operas of the famous 19th-century German composer and musical theorist -- the Ring des Nibelungen is 14-15 hours in itself, divided into four separate operas. This biographical film begins when Wagner is first recognized for his work, yet in that same year, 1848, he was forced out of his homeland for his radical politics (he supported the unification of separate kingdoms under one Germany) and settled in Zurich for awhile. Focusing on character traits that are well-known and would not endear him to anyone, the film details his bigotry (a confirmed anti-Semitic), his insensitivity, and his obsession with money -- he went after the bottom line even if it meant losing friendships or ruining his marriage. Although Wagner is known for his music theory and the contribution he made to opera during his lifetime, very little attention is given to his actual works in this film. Venerable British thespians (Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Joan Plowright, and Richard Burton as Wagner) light up the cast but not always with the same brightness. In the final analysis, the slow-paced story is simply too long in the telling, and even the visually sumptuous costumes and production design cannot make up for a slow script, uneven acting, and problems in direction. The film version runs 300 minutes. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Burton, Vanessa Redgrave, (more)
