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Sick Product of a Sick System

Pretty Good

Boring

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

"Auftauchen" is a German movie from almost 10 years ago that runs for almost 90 minutes (without credits). I saw that it is also known as "Amour fou", but don't mix it up with the superior more recent film with that title. It is the only feature film so far by writer and director Felicitas Korn. Lead actress is Henriette Heinze and lead actor is Golo Euler. I only knew Heinze before watching this one and she is also more lead in here I guess. We follow the blossoming love of a couple, in which the female is roughly 10 years older, how they get together, how they spend a great time, how they struggle with their relationship. As everything is crumbling, especially professionally around the female central character, it also has a negative impact on their relationship.I must say that this was not a good watch. Euler's character was truly uninteresting and almost seemed like nothing but a vehicle for Heinze's at some point. You cannot really blame the actor because it's the way he was written. And in terms of writing, Heinze's character did not look any better. Her struggles were obvious, but instead of great character development, the longer the film goes, the more she is reduced to uncontrolled screaming. I can certainly see why Korn did not make any other films afterward. And there were some scenes in here that were obviously only intended for shock purpose, such as the various sex scenes or the scene in the bathroom when she asks if he wants to see it. So gross and it added nothing in terms of story or character elaboration. "Auftauchen" is certainly not a complete failure, but the negative outweighs the positive for sure. Not recommended.

"Breaking the Surface", writer-director Felicitas Korn's first feature-length film and film school graduation piece, won her the Best New Director Award at last year's Brooklyn Film Festival. As a snapshot from an aspiring photographer's life, it's a visually alluring one-woman show. Balancing a lot of clubbing with even more sex and a minimal amount of artsy work, Nadja's life sure is rich in production value. But the plot is flimsy, especially on motivation and coherence. What does Nadja (Henriette Heinze) see in Darius (Golo Euler), a shallow slacker almost ten years her junior? How the hell does she live (and support her mom!) on the odd skater shoot for an off-beat magazine? Ludicrous. But I must admit I enjoyed it anyway. I have a nagging suspicion it's mostly Henriette Heinze's slender dancer's frame, rarely seen with her clothes on, that kept me interested. But then, skinny girls getting their kit off have always been a staple asset of the movie business. Go see it if you had the hots for Elodie Bouchez in Yolande Zauberman's "Clubbed to Death" or Mareike Fell in "Over in the Rainbow".