Berlim Fica na Alemanha

BERLIN IS IN GERMANY is what an outsider hopes to get from a new European film - plausible (well mainly) picture of it's society, vivid characters here represented by unfamiliar faces ( Platerenau's final appearance is a nice surprise), a different look suggesting extensive available light photography - throw in a bit of sex and violence.

This one is considerably better than the Gabin film MELODIE EN SOUS SOL which uses the same situation - released prisoner returns to a home town he no longer recognises.

Its placing in Berlin is effective even if they labor the East-West theme. It leaves you interested in seeing the other work of its performers and writer director.

The movie starts very well. The director is soulful in accompanying the protagonist out of the jail. For half an hour this affectionate look is palpable. When things begin to change - new work, new girlfriend - the director loses his best touch. Many characters (Ludmilla, the taxi driver, ex wife's new husband) are unconvincing and the plot becomes too predictable. However a good attempt to make a contemporary movie, i.e. a movie where people behave like real people and not like screenwriter's fake creations. This vein seems to be due to the director who is also very capable of telling stories without many words.

Imagine what it would be like getting out of jail after 11 years. Everything is different, your wife has someone else, you don't know your son, your friends have dispersed, nobody will give you a job. Now imagine that you started your term in East Germany months before the Wiedervereinigung, the reunification. That's what happened to Martin. As he is released his country doesn't exist anymore. Literally. He not only has to readapt to life outside, he has to integrate into a society he knows only from television as well. Having always been fascinated by the divided and the reunited Berlin I went to see this film at the Montréal film festival, and I am very glad I did. The enormous changes from the DDR to present day Germany are shown with a remarkable subtlety. Solid directing, nothing fancy, and very good performances contribute to make this a film well above average.

This is a powerful drama about a guy who tries to get to grips with getting out of jail and being released back into society. Nice for people who like this sort of film (usually shown early in the evening on the women's channel, this one must have acquired some sort of filmhouse stigma on the way), but not my cup of tea.

There were some interesting ideas in this one, such as the lady from the rehabilitation who kept using social worker talk as if reality had completely passed her by, but too few and far between to lift this film to the next level.

Still, quite entertaining, with enough humor to never make it completely boring. I switched from the last half hour of Hannibal to this, and did not regret that choice.

The director could not have shown Berlin better as what it is shown in this movie. Brilliant actors together with great pictures made this movie a very special one. The story is about Martin, just released from prison where he faced a 11-year sentence because of homicide. How things can change in these 11 years, is what this movie is based on. The Berlin Wall is gone, his country does not exist anymore, he has never seen his son and his wife has a new one. Great perspective for someone like Martin. But he won't give up and with the help of some of his old friends he is about to start all over and find his luck again. But then his criminal past gets back at him. Great movie.