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Reviews
Schau mich nicht so an (2015)
At times provoking at times humorous profile of a city girls life
*SPOILER* The movie opens with Hedi, played by director Uisenma Borchu, a young woman living in Munich daydreaming of taking her neighbors cute 6 year old daughter on a trip to visit her own grandmother in Mongolia. What starts as a jolly day dream develops into a chamber play psychological drama between Hedi, her neighbor Iva and Iva's estranged father, culminating in a dramatic final scene that leaves viewers baffled and wondering if Hedi is an emotionally manipulative monster or a harmless day dreamer.
Despite the director demonstrating her skill for dark drama at the end, the movie is mostly lighthearted and humorous. Hedi is a sexual libertarian (WARNING: The movie is quite sexually explicit in both picture and language) sleeping with male acquaintances picked up in a bar, her single mother neighbor Iva and finally Iva's 65+ year old nihilistic father (played by Joseph Bierbichler, the only professional actor in the movie). International audiences will delight in the unadulterated view of Munich city life, contrasted with Hedi's day dreams of her grandmother, introducing a peek into traditional Mongolian culture. Hedi assuming a mother role for Eva's 6 year old daughter Sophia brings a lighthearted touch to the movie as Sophia, blonde, cute and innocent, visually contrasts with Hedi, dark haired, slim and beautiful.
Overall an excellent first work of new director Uisenma Borchu, quite successfully playing with romantic drama elements, exotic cultural contradictions, some beautifully done sex scenes contrasting Hedi's (Uisenma Borchu) Mongolian beauty against blonde German Iva (Catrina Stemmer). We hear Iva's father (Joseph Bierbichler) cite Berthold Brecht poems, explaining to young Hedi what sex means for old men and shedding tears when he sees his young grandchild.
8 stars for quality on low budget.
The Black Rose (1950)
Underrated little jewel from the 50s
The movie is a childhood memory, and a well remembered one. I think its a underrated little jewel from the 50s, well executed for the time and set in an interesting historical period. I appreciate the movie for being the only (western) adventure movie set in Mongol expansion period I ever came across and it got me interested in this particular historical period for live. Although not very accurate on historical details it gives an overall good impression of the time. Orson Welles playing Mongol general Bayan as quick-witted, educated and tolerant, though ruthless, forms the acting highlight of the movie. Although other roles don't stand by their acting the collection of characters presented is quite amusing. The movie stands out from other adventure movies of the period by avoiding a clear hero and villain patterns, most characters are ambiguous. The plot is the weakest point of the movie, covering a storyline spanning years and stretching from England to China it simply tries to compress too much into its 120min. Watching it as a lineup of historical scenes during quite fascinating times makes it enjoyable nevertheless.