Quatre minutes

An elderly spinster piano teacher in a womens prison,Mrs.Kruger, takes one of the inmates,Jenny,under her wing.The teacher loves music but can't connect with people.Jenny is young and absolutely gifted,but hates playing because it brings back a personal trauma from her past.The teacher tries to teach the student about respect,whilst the student reminds the teacher what it's like to be young and emotional.

There are sub plots concerning both of their respective past personal lives but basically,it is just about two characters from vastly different generations and backgrounds who form an uneasy alliance in a harsh environment,and both of them benefit from the experience.

Keep a box of tissues handy because the film is an emotional roller-coaster.I have no doubt that if they remade this in Hollywood with A-list stars, (which they probably eventually will),that it would clean up at the Oscars.But I guarantee that it would not be as good as this movie.

Four Minutes (Vier Minuten) is actually about 110 minutes,and pretty much every one of them is worthy.A must see movie.

What a great movie ! I almost cried in the end . A must watch ! A must must watch. FANTASTIC LAST FOUR MINUTES

I saw this last year at a screening by the Desert Film Society. Director/writer Chris Keaus shows promise in this, only his second film. The film is set in a German penitentiary and revolves around two central characters, Traude Krüger (Monica Bleibtreau), an elderly spinster who is a piano teacher at the prison and working long past her retirement age and Jenny Von Loeben (Hannah Herzsprung). a young woman serving time on a murder conviction. Jenny is also a a naturally gifted pianist under her gruff demeanor who Krüger wants to tame long enough to enter her in a piano competition to give a four minuter recital in a prestigious concert hall before an affluent audience. Krüger lives and teaches order and conformity and comes from a past where the Nazi's were about order and conformity in their world of fascism and she had to adapt to that world while suppressing her the non-conformity of her lesbianism. Jenny has a violent temper and comes from a world of childhood abuse and has lived a life of disorder and non-conformity while suppressing the order and conformity of her protégé talent. Jenny likes modern music and the modern rhythms and passion of the street and experimental music scene while Krüger hates modern music. Ironically the piece Krüger has chosen for Jenny's recital is by German composer Robert Schumann who's own approach to music incorporated rhythm that was considered daring for it's day. Director/writer Kraus may have thrown in another little ironic tie-in to Schumann where a guard at the prison has a young daughter named Clara who Krüger had no patience with because she wouldn't curtsy. Schumann's wife and great love of his life was named Clara. This is a film that keeps your interest throughout but the screenplay has lots of gaps and implausible scenarios and runs a little long but despite its flaws, the two fine acting performances by Bleibtreu and Herzsprung are certainly noteworthy and I would recommend the film and give it a 7.0 out of 10.

I am still feeling quite spellbound, after seeing the film "Vier Minuten" this evening! The director's

opening sequence, with skillful use of silence and a relatively slow pace, immediately caught my attention. The photography was excellent and the acting superb. The story, although slightly contrived, was engaging. I feel that the subplot was not really connected to the main story and could have been developed further. The music was most enjoyable, but I feel that, although music features to a large extent in the film, it is not meant to be a showcase for the music, but rather as a tool to explore the relationship between Frau Krueger and Jenny. This is exceptionally well depicted and the acting absolutely brilliant!

I feel that there is a great depth to this film, which probably needs more analysis than I have had time to give it. I should like to see the film again and wish I could see a version without sub-titles. It is so tempting to peek, thereby missing all the nuances of the wonderful characterizations.

I would recommend this film to anyone interested in intelligent acting and who wants to be able to reflect on a film's deeper meaning, rather than just be superficially entertained. I enjoyed "Vier Minuten" and although it was set in a rather grim environment, I found it uplifting, rather than depressing!

I won't bore you with many words on this film: just go and see it. it is incredible. when I saw it at the cinema, at the end people clapped hands like in a theater. DON'T MISS IT.

the old and very severe Traude Krueger gives piano lessons in a prison and happens to notice the solitary, violent and rebellious but extremely talented Jenny and decides to make her participate (and surely win) in a piano competition facing all the problems of jenny's state as a prisoner and of their relationship (passing from indifference and not-liking each other to appreciation and a sort of friendship). the film alternates the present events and scenes from the also tormented past of the old teacher during the Nazi period. it shows the importance of not only punishing prisoners but the need of rehabilitation, of giving them a target, a dream in their otherwise useless lives.