Grill Point

A film I almost didn't go to watch, because the theme didn't seem appealing enough. In the end I was very glad, I had gone, since while perhaps not perfect, I found it to be very realistic and close up which at least for me made it very touching. As an aside you get a good look at some aspects of the former East Germany 10 years on, as the story is situated there.

I'm very fond of this movie. The authenticity of the actors, the very light and playful use of humor an subtle gags and the fact, that although they were doing it on a very low budget, you're not going to be sick by the way they handle the camera makes this so absolutely enjoyable. its setting in frankfurt/oder is also something very different even though films on the soil of the ex-gdr are on the increase. i haven't seen such a film since 'Männer' which is a few decades ago.

this movie tells a common story like no other. watch it in german.

Part comedy, part drama, 'Grill Point' gets up close and personal in documentary style with two families in middle class Germany. The local Radio DJ has an affair with a restauranters wife; we are agonizingly close as the fallout of betrayal and discovery manifests itself.

Its not all doom and gloom though; we get comedic moments with an ever-growing street side performance troupe that becomes the thorn in the side; and the adultery itself is handled initially with a playful jocularity that belies what is to come.

Let down by not really having a style and sticking to it to maintain consistency; 'Grill Point' is an interesting but flawed drama.

I was not sure what sort of film I was going to watch, when I was entering the movie theater, but I liked Halbe Treppe, although it was VERY influenced by Scandinavian Dogma-releases and therefore very hyped in recent German press releases. The story itself is not that much complex: two couples, of the one the man and of the other the woman become unfaithful... But the gags in-between are terrific. There is this running gag on the 17 hippies playing music in front of the snack box, or the other one concerning Britney Spears, whose music is always running in the background, when scenes were shot at the local radio station. Many devices of the Dogma manifesto were used in this film: no artificial setting, laymen-acting, hand camera a.s.o., but the splendour of a "Idioterne" (Lars von Trier, 1998) or "Festen" (Thomas Vinterberg, 1998) is not achieved. Nevertheless, I liked the movie and was surprised, since most recent German releases bored me a lot. 8* (out of 10*)

I excuse in advance for my bad English! It's late and I'm German! :-) When I read the critic that has already been done I get the impression that he hasn't understood the film. This is so much symbolic! The orchestra that is growing more and more during the film is not only because of fun, it means something! Find out yourself what it could mean for you! It's not a comedy film. Not everything that you can laugh about means it is funny. Sometimes people laugh about things which are actually very sad, and a part of THEM too, but they CAN'T see it!! It's a drama, everything about this film is drama, like normal life. The normal life is often so depressing and sad... Well, we try to make the best of it, we laugh... And more and more we loose the gift to see clear. It's our life that is represented in this film. WE ARE that ridiculous. Have you realized the bird that escaped from his cage? In the end it comes back... What could it mean?