bioscoopzaal

"Not A Love Song" is one of those films that bursts with good intentions, but never manages to get any clear message across. Besides, there is not much to like about this film anyway, although the premise is rather strong and the film deals with some tough issues such as racism, apathy and unemployment.

Unfortunately, the story of Bruno, a young man who is desperate to find his place in the world, is told in such an unappealing manner and the film is filled with so many unlikeable characters, that it is really hard to feel any sympathy for any of the characters. Even Bruno, the protagonist, is nothing more than a rude, lazy slob.

The low production values, talky script, mediocre performances en drab black-and-white photography do nothing to enhance the viewing pleasure. "Not A Love Song" tries to be ambitious and provoking, but is eventually buried by its depressing mood and gray looks.

If you'd like to see what German cinema can do for you, try "Bin Ich Schön", by Doris Dörrie, or just re-watch "Lola Rennt". "Not A Love Song" is not a film I would recommend. 2/10

Very rarely does a film come along that's so bad it's good. Most bad (big budget) films simply are tedious, lame and boring, and no matter how hard you try, they simply can't be enjoyed. I'm not going to name names here, but I'm sure we've all seen our share of big budget crap. The strange thing about (bad) low budget films is, that the film-makers put a lot more enthusiasm into their films and try to make up for the lack of budget. So no matter if the film turns out to be garbage, the audience can still laugh at the enormous amount of bad dialogue, continuity errors and campy performances.

"Engine Trouble" fits right into that mold. It was produced in Belgium for about 25 dollars, and it really shows. But besides from simply being crap, "Engine Trouble" actually manages to be quite entertaining. Not entertaining in a "Back to the Future" kind of way, but more in a "Plan 9 From Outer Space" kind of way. Obviously, dialogue and acting are extremely over the top, the production values are depressingly cheap and the plot has been done a million times before. But somehow this didn't really matter. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this film. As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard during a movie, even though the humor was entirely unintentional. I guess it was sheer disbelief that cracked me up. I mean, can a film really be this bad?

So, if like me you are a fan of trash-cinema, Ed Wood and Troma, you certainly are going to enjoy this puppy. Just make sure you don't watch it alone! Ask your buddies to come over, have a few drinks and enjoy. However, if bad movies are not your bag, you might want to stay away. After all, no matter which way you turn it, "Engine Trouble" still is unadulterated crap!

It's been a while since I last saw this film, as a matter of fact, Pelle Svanslös is one of the first films I saw as a child. The story is about a Pelle, a cat who was born without a proper tail. Of course, Pelle soon becomes the laughing stock of the town, because the other cats think that "he can't be a proper cat if he doesn't even have a proper tail".

Since this is a children's story the film evidently has a moral. Fortunately it isn't overdone, and the message of acceptance and equality is conveyed without having to rely on cheap sentimentality. However, the film is a bit sad at times, mainly because of the abuse Pelle has to take from the other cats. Don't worry though, it all turns out fine in the end.

Still, I cried my our eyes out the first time I saw it. But give me some credit, I was only five years old at the time.