QueenNadine Reviews

The Sandman (1995 TV Movie)

Obscure, but worth it

[26 January 2009]

Der Sandmann (The Sandman, 1995, TV) is a film you're probably never going to see as it's a TV production, and its star Götz George, though (almost) indisputably is one of our best actors, is one you've probably never heard of as he seems to do TV mostly. Why am I still writing about this, then? Well, for what it is, I thought it was pret-ty good.

Ambitious young TV researcher Ina Littmann (portrayed by Karoline Eichhorn with boyish stubbornness) just landed her first big project- to get enigmatic crime writer Kupfer to appear on live TV and research his private life. Kupfer, who's apparently had a tough youth being beaten up by his father and watching his sister kill herself, once spent time in jail for manslaughter and is now making rather decent money writing very successful thrillers with graphic descriptions of criminal bestiality. During her research, Ina cannot help but notice links between Kupfer's life, his character and his mannerisms and a series of brutal murders that have been taking place across the country, in pretty much all the places that Kupfer has visited in recent years...

Sounds a bit cheesy? Certainly is. Like you'd expect from a TV movie, the conflict is established pretty soon (young girl gets sucked deeper and deeper into mysterious older man's dangerous world and is fascinated and appalled at the same time), there are a number of rather convenient twists for our heroine (always in the right place at the right time- how does she do it?!), and there's a few mildly graphic shock moments ("Boobs- oh yes we like'em," the TV producer said).

All this cliché aside, however, this is still a pretty decent film. George (not pronounced like the English first name) is incredibly watchable as Henry Kupfer, going from creepy to pathetic to arrogant bastard (though the latter of which, judging from his TV appearances, may not have involved all much acting). Eichhorn makes for a strong counterpart as a woman who, despite being pushed around and belittled everywhere she goes, is determined to show everyone and make it big in the business.

I do remember seeing the last third of it on TV in the late 1990s, and I did know that there'd be a twist at the end. I was glad my memory didn't serve me quite that well as I didn't quite expect that twist to be what it was. I was expecting something much more graphic and cliché and was pleasantly surprised when the predicted character ended up being victimized, but in a much different way from what I expected. This very ironic ending was very much in line with the criticism of tasteless, ruthless TV voyeurism and the greed that drives it that's present throughout the film, and I thought its last couple of scenes rounded that whole criticism up very nicely and, despite its limited accessibility, made it a film worth writing about.

So, if you ever find yourself tuning into this on German TV, and if you've somehow magically manged to learn German in the meantime, and have nothing better to do of course, this may be worth a try.

Berlin Blues (2003)

See it, even if just for the mullet!

[17 January 2009]

Frank is a barman in 1989 West Berlin. Everyone calls him Herr Lehmann, much to his annoyance at times- but then, he's not really all that bothered, as he lives his life day to day, beer to beer, without much of a plan or direction, happy just to hang out with his mates and do the same bar hopping routine over and over. His comfortable state of leisure is disrupted when he meets attractive but tough chef Katrin, his parents visit him unexpectedly, and his best friend Karl starts going insane. And of course, a couple doors down, on the other side of the wall, a whole new level of turmoil is starting to brew...

Well, where to start? The acting is great, with former MTV cutie Christian Ulmen giving a brilliantly lazy, laconic "am I bovveeeered?!" kind of performance. Detlev Buck steals many of Ulmen's scenes as artist stroke party animal Karl. I know Buck's a director, producer, and whatnot, but I love him as an actor. He's just able to create these hilarious, memorable characters, does deadpan like no other- and as Karl he sports the most incedible mullet (or Vokuhila, as we call it).

I'd expected more eighties nostalgia in set and costume design, and music, but the film pretty much stayed clear of that. Even the dialogue sounded like it could have come from any period. (The mullet does make up for that, though. Big time.) I did think the atmosphere of late 80s West Berlin was captured well enough though, with the countless Eckkneipen and these types that just live for the next night out and are simply to cool to be bothered about what's happening around them. I've met enough of those myself, albeit not in Berlin, and love how the film manages to thoroughly take the mickey out of them while still presenting them as likable characters.

Dialogue is witty, with some great, pointless beer conversations about basically nothing.

There are points when the film seems to drag a little, just like Herr Lehmann's life- nothing much happens.

The soundtrack is well-picked, though like with all modern German movies seems to have been put together by someone who hasn't quite realised that there have been songs written in languages other than English. That said, there is some seriously funky music in there.

All in all, I absolutely loved this and would strongly recommend it. Even just for the mullet.

9/10

Ponyo (2008)

A Totoro for the Noughties

[13 September 2008]

After the epic fairytale worlds of Howl's Moving Castle and (the underwhelming) Tales from Earthsea, Studio Ghibli's latest is a return to good old 80s Ghibli.

The brainchild of Master Miyazaki himself, it lacks the elaborate plot of the likes of Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away and makes do with far less characters. Instead we finally go back to seeing the world through the curious, wide-open eyes of a child.

The story is based on Andersen's The Little Mermaid, but as the film progresses it becomes its own dreamlike vision. Ponyo is a 5-year old fish princess living in her family's underwater kingdom, and when she meets Sousuke, a boy of the same age, decides she wants to become human herself, much to her father's dismay.

The underwater scenes are spectacular; as one would expect in a Miyazaki picture, they are full of strange, wonderful creatures that resemble something we may have seen in reality and yet are completely unique in their own right. During the initial sequence that's set in this colourful, mysteriously illuminated realm, the first point of comparison that came to my mind was the impressive ocean setting in Finding Nemo. However, where the Pixar film uses 3D graphics of all sorts to create stunningly realistic and impressive images, Ponyo uses a wide range of colours and shapes to create an equally, if not more, stunning fantasy kingdom. There is not a single CGI pixel anywhere in this film, yet the textures are lavishly rich, and the movements of light, the sea and its inhabitants incredibly fluent. The underwater scenes alone are a stunning artistic achievement.

The rest of the film's visuals, however, impress just as much with their lovely but never kitschy pastel palette and the ever-loving detail that can be found in every single frame. The casual drawing style of Sousuke's house against the lavish green field in the background, the gorgeously peaceful town, or a glowing, golden moon are only a few examples of the many memorable images.

Like in the now-20 year old classic, My Neighbour Totoro, the protagonists are young children, and a large part of the film's charm lies in their portrayal. Ever since I was a child and watched Heidi or Anne of Green Gables, (though I've only realised now), what's fascinated me about Miyazaki's animation is the accuracy in which it replicates children's movements, mimicry and mannerisms. Ponyo is a stubborn girl who, like any little princess, can get quite angry if not given what she wants ( though with more serious consequences than with most other children). And when she does, she behaves and moves in the exact same way that you see little kids do it every day in real life. 8-year old voice actress Nara Yuria also does a fantastic job in bringing Ponyo to life and making her the unbelievably lovable, cheeky little sh!t that she is. While she is delightfully hilarious in her half-fish, half-child shape that defies classification, Ponyo never becomes boring once she assumes her human shape. One of the most (literally) heartwarming moments of the film is when, as a human child, Ponyo tastes milk with honey for the first time, truly savouring the experience. The delighted expression on her little face reminded me of my own childhood firsts and gave me that warm fuzzy feeling in my chest. In many ways, Ponyo is very reminiscent of Mei in Totoro.

Like Totoro, Ponyo also has a good old-fashioned opening sequence, and a title song you won't forget too soon after hearing it. Performed by little Ohashi Nozomi, the terribly catchy tune is a perfect sing-along for any child, young or old.

And again, like its famous predecessor, some reviewers have noted (somewhat critically at times), that Ponyo is aimed at a much younger audience than the more recent Ghibli films. I'd like to phrase it differently and say that this is the first Ghibli in a while that doesn't exclude this target group completely. This film is of course for children, but (yes, as with Totoro) its merit lies in its many delights – the lovingly precise portrayal of children's behaviour, the many moments of wonder and the sheer artistic vision.

By the end of the fastest one-hundred minutes ever, I had that silly smile on my face, and I knew I'd once again witnessed true Miyazaki magic.

Of course we'll have to see how well this one will hold up over repeated viewings and how it will be regarded in a decades time, but for now I'll say: Move over, Totoro.

10/10. Now go see it!