"Der Kotzbrocken" or "Die Wette" or "Rock'n' Rollstuhl" (seriously?) is a German television movie from 2015, so this one has its 5th anniversary this year. No reason to celebrate though as this was only worth it if the film was old enough to not be shown anymore on television. That's how bad it is. But it aired today and also earlier in May on another occasion. This film is not how you want to spend your Whitsun. The names of the director and writer of this 1.5-hour movie do not sound 100% German, but they are from my country. Not too much to say about this duo, only that it is a bit surprising how the writer is far more prolific although he is over a decade younger. As for the cast, the two leads Aglaia Szyszkowitz and Roeland Wiesnekker are not unknown, but also far from famous. Same applies to supporting actress Löbau. I will just brainstorm a bit now why I think this film is a mess. I could say ARD Degeto attached here makes it a safe bet as their films almost always suck, but let me go a bit more into detail: It struggles as always with the dialogues for children. So fake and staged. The best example early on is the boy joking around his mother is an accomplice to pick him up from a bank robbery or something. I guess this was meant to show us how they are getting along very well with how they are joking like that. Felt really phony to me. Away from the kids, the female protagonist also gets her stupid story immediately with how she runs into the judge already in a most unpleasant manner at the parking lot. What a coincidence it was him. Some say it is funny, I say it is stupid and unrealistic. Also quite an awesome judge who simply send an accused to his brother to make some social work. I am sure there are a handful paragraphs that would avoid something like that in real life. Also pretty ridiculous how he acts as if he knows her so well after a few minutes and after what happened at the parking lot, he should think that she is the last person he'd want to deal with his brother. The talk between her and her lawyer really isn't any better. Utter nonsense.
Later on, when she and said brother have met a few times already, we have an especially cringeworthy scene/quote in which he says something like that it is no surprise the men keep running away from her and of course she is outraged. This was also already to show us how the comments from each other have a big emotional impact on them already. No matter what you say, they talk to each other about their feelings. Really ridiculous. In reality, she would never go see him again. Don't say the money forces her to. By the way, how does she not even have that money. It's not a million. Ridiculous. The dialogues were all written really really poorly and felt extremely scripted and not as if those were in an authentic manner what people would say in these situations, so many examples and it must be said that the actors with the delivery are not making things any better. I think Wiesnekker was especially bad there, worse than Aglaia. But she was as well. I can only shake my head at the "Little Lord Fauntleroy" quote. I think many people like this movie. They should be ashamed to use this film for garbage films like this one here. But the characters' actions make no sense either. He says he will not apologize in person. Boom! One scene later that is exactly what he does. Or his explanation whay he does not ant her to quit: Because she treats him like a person, not like a victim. I have heard this quote so many times on other films, but I think nowhere else it as as bad as here. The background stories were nonsense too like the sob story with the boy's deceased father. Shaking my head there. They have no talent, but want the utmost emotion from us. As for Wiesnekker's story: One more pseudo important that really stayed in my mind was when we see the sun in his face. All for the sake of it. In most other films, it would have been fine, maybe even memorable, here it as just fake. Another thing they frequently use for these films is that the children of the female protagonist make a connection with Mr. Right, cheer him on at the course eventually. Here, it is the case too, especially with thos boy who keeps being around the man, but also the one scene with the daughter. Said daughter (played by the stunning Neumeister) added nothing story-wise, so they handed her a joke story line according to which she wants to stop going to school and a forced conflict with the mother. Oh and one thing I shall not forget under any circumstance is that it wwas not just the writer and cast (and director) who sucked, also the soundtrack by a man named Alex Komlew was an abomination. Zero subtlety. Constantly over the top in terms of tune and colume. Unreal stuff. Been a while since I have seen a film with such bad music. And I have seen many recently.
A few more words on Wiesnekker's character: They also had no clue with subtlety in general and when it came to his athletic achievements. The time they said he needed for a marathon back then was just a joke. Way too fast and really incredible. And please don't say that the fact that he does not win the final race creates realism. He finishes seconds after the world champion (again terrible soundtrack there), he is next to the world champion at the start etc. The whole Rocky comeback story was an abomination. Also it would not be in the radio that very moment. I just can't take this film seriously, although with all the atrocities it really wanted to be taken seriously. On those rare occasions when he didn't, like the wheelchair in the water, it sucked for other reasons. Oh yeah, in the first half there is also a Louis Hofmann lookalike who is terminally ill apparently and this character was only there to tell us how beautiful the female protagonist is, even if she is almost 30 years older than him and create another fake sob story. I honestly felt bad for the actor there. Nobody could have made this part work. Then again nobody forced him to accept the role. This character also made for a soundtrack fail moment when he is taken to the hospice. More pseudo tears they wanted from the simple folk. Okay, back to the "kotzbrocken" character. Charming title by the way, of course he also has great dark humor and makes Aglaia laugh. The toilet scene is when the film hot rock bottom. Again, it is a really anti-male movie, the only character who is 100% likable is the female protagonist and this show that the film is clearly for female audiences. It's okay to come up with realistically flawed characters, but these horribly untalented filmmakers make with male characters every film is really an insult. Also really shameful stuff with the doping confession story they used to free one smaller character from her guilt. The latter is pretty stunning, so attractive females are swirling around the gruff bum because he is handsome. And she is not mad at him afterwards either. Another failure story.
Also anti-male is how always the females can pick their lover at the end. She does not want the French cook who is disrespectful towards the gruff bum and not so nice when talking about her children. His superficial approach is another exammple of poor writing, also the final attempt to hug Aglaia because of how amazing she is. At least, almost at the end, they relized the judge brother conflict that he made it happen was not full of potential at all despite wanting us to think this way initially. Even her daughter talks about it, what the heck? But the conflict how she is about to stay with the cook and then doesn't (surprise!) is just as bad. "You are scared of him." I don't even... This is a film as simple as it is bad, yet also really manipulative. I feel bad for people who see a tocuhing romance/comeback story in here. Don't be one of those. Use your mind! It's all garbage. Highly, highly not recommended.
Later on, when she and said brother have met a few times already, we have an especially cringeworthy scene/quote in which he says something like that it is no surprise the men keep running away from her and of course she is outraged. This was also already to show us how the comments from each other have a big emotional impact on them already. No matter what you say, they talk to each other about their feelings. Really ridiculous. In reality, she would never go see him again. Don't say the money forces her to. By the way, how does she not even have that money. It's not a million. Ridiculous. The dialogues were all written really really poorly and felt extremely scripted and not as if those were in an authentic manner what people would say in these situations, so many examples and it must be said that the actors with the delivery are not making things any better. I think Wiesnekker was especially bad there, worse than Aglaia. But she was as well. I can only shake my head at the "Little Lord Fauntleroy" quote. I think many people like this movie. They should be ashamed to use this film for garbage films like this one here. But the characters' actions make no sense either. He says he will not apologize in person. Boom! One scene later that is exactly what he does. Or his explanation whay he does not ant her to quit: Because she treats him like a person, not like a victim. I have heard this quote so many times on other films, but I think nowhere else it as as bad as here. The background stories were nonsense too like the sob story with the boy's deceased father. Shaking my head there. They have no talent, but want the utmost emotion from us. As for Wiesnekker's story: One more pseudo important that really stayed in my mind was when we see the sun in his face. All for the sake of it. In most other films, it would have been fine, maybe even memorable, here it as just fake. Another thing they frequently use for these films is that the children of the female protagonist make a connection with Mr. Right, cheer him on at the course eventually. Here, it is the case too, especially with thos boy who keeps being around the man, but also the one scene with the daughter. Said daughter (played by the stunning Neumeister) added nothing story-wise, so they handed her a joke story line according to which she wants to stop going to school and a forced conflict with the mother. Oh and one thing I shall not forget under any circumstance is that it wwas not just the writer and cast (and director) who sucked, also the soundtrack by a man named Alex Komlew was an abomination. Zero subtlety. Constantly over the top in terms of tune and colume. Unreal stuff. Been a while since I have seen a film with such bad music. And I have seen many recently.
A few more words on Wiesnekker's character: They also had no clue with subtlety in general and when it came to his athletic achievements. The time they said he needed for a marathon back then was just a joke. Way too fast and really incredible. And please don't say that the fact that he does not win the final race creates realism. He finishes seconds after the world champion (again terrible soundtrack there), he is next to the world champion at the start etc. The whole Rocky comeback story was an abomination. Also it would not be in the radio that very moment. I just can't take this film seriously, although with all the atrocities it really wanted to be taken seriously. On those rare occasions when he didn't, like the wheelchair in the water, it sucked for other reasons. Oh yeah, in the first half there is also a Louis Hofmann lookalike who is terminally ill apparently and this character was only there to tell us how beautiful the female protagonist is, even if she is almost 30 years older than him and create another fake sob story. I honestly felt bad for the actor there. Nobody could have made this part work. Then again nobody forced him to accept the role. This character also made for a soundtrack fail moment when he is taken to the hospice. More pseudo tears they wanted from the simple folk. Okay, back to the "kotzbrocken" character. Charming title by the way, of course he also has great dark humor and makes Aglaia laugh. The toilet scene is when the film hot rock bottom. Again, it is a really anti-male movie, the only character who is 100% likable is the female protagonist and this show that the film is clearly for female audiences. It's okay to come up with realistically flawed characters, but these horribly untalented filmmakers make with male characters every film is really an insult. Also really shameful stuff with the doping confession story they used to free one smaller character from her guilt. The latter is pretty stunning, so attractive females are swirling around the gruff bum because he is handsome. And she is not mad at him afterwards either. Another failure story.
Also anti-male is how always the females can pick their lover at the end. She does not want the French cook who is disrespectful towards the gruff bum and not so nice when talking about her children. His superficial approach is another exammple of poor writing, also the final attempt to hug Aglaia because of how amazing she is. At least, almost at the end, they relized the judge brother conflict that he made it happen was not full of potential at all despite wanting us to think this way initially. Even her daughter talks about it, what the heck? But the conflict how she is about to stay with the cook and then doesn't (surprise!) is just as bad. "You are scared of him." I don't even... This is a film as simple as it is bad, yet also really manipulative. I feel bad for people who see a tocuhing romance/comeback story in here. Don't be one of those. Use your mind! It's all garbage. Highly, highly not recommended.
