I haven't read the novel, though I might look for a translated copy. This is brass from the very first line. It is immensely gripping and unpleasant. I can't understand how anyone could have caught this and thought it glamorized the environment and drug addiction. It does just the opposite, in a frank and honest manner. This is not propaganda, not for either side. The negative sides are shown well. It is somewhat reminiscent of Trainspotting, only without the sort of philosophy, and without the visual stylization. This has very realistic editing and cinematography that makes this whole thing feel completely natural, and makes it have all the more impact. It is disgusting, brutal and tough to watch. No aspect of this is flashy. This has a relatively slow pace, and the plot is focused on following Christiane and her experiences with narcotics. The effects are entirely convincing. This has amazing performances from every actor(in spite of their youth), and while the characters are arguably not that defined, they definitely undergo development over the course of this, and they are credible. Also, this actually happened. It is based upon real events. The score is great, all of it music by David Bowie. There is a lot of disturbing, at times violent, content, frequent strong language(so I understand; this is in German, and it was subtitled, not dubbed) and a little sexuality including brief nudity in this. I recommend this to anyone mature enough to appreciate it that believe they can handle it. 8/10
Review of Christiane F.
