"Toter Mann" is a German small screen movie from 2001 that won a pretty nice deal of awards. One reason may be the fact that writer and director Christian Petzold had already made his way into the elite of German filmmakers over 15 years ago. I think this was his first collaboration with actress Nina Hoss who he kept casting as his leading lady many times afterward, a collaboration that was very much in favor for the both of them. The other main actors here are André Hennicke and Sven Pippig. The first half focuses more on Hennicke, the second on Pippig. And it's all about the characters portrayed by these two and how they interact with Hoss' character. A dark secret comes to the surface at the very end, but until then the audience is left completely unknown, which is not a bad thing though. After all, thanks to the (German) title we know that somebody gets killed eventually, most likely one of the two men in the center of the action.
The film runs for 90 minutes and shows Petzold's strength. I think he is a very good story teller with really good focus. The result is that many of his films are not long at all and he has a handful movies that are even shorter than this one here despite only running for 1.5 hours. I like his approach a lot and even if this one is certainly not my favorite film by him (or top3 probably neither), it is still a very profound watch. Hoss shows her capability of playing lead characters which she does to this day and the two males bring their own approaches. There is always some kind of dark mystery to Hennicke, while Pippig (rest in peace big guy) is giving it the likable chubby guy approach who may not be as harmless as he seems. It all feels really authentic and with Petzold's works you never have the impression that you are watching actors instead of real people. "Something to Remind Me" may need slightly too long with the final explanation/revelation, bu it is nonetheless a well-crafted work by every body involved. I recommend checking it out.
The film runs for 90 minutes and shows Petzold's strength. I think he is a very good story teller with really good focus. The result is that many of his films are not long at all and he has a handful movies that are even shorter than this one here despite only running for 1.5 hours. I like his approach a lot and even if this one is certainly not my favorite film by him (or top3 probably neither), it is still a very profound watch. Hoss shows her capability of playing lead characters which she does to this day and the two males bring their own approaches. There is always some kind of dark mystery to Hennicke, while Pippig (rest in peace big guy) is giving it the likable chubby guy approach who may not be as harmless as he seems. It all feels really authentic and with Petzold's works you never have the impression that you are watching actors instead of real people. "Something to Remind Me" may need slightly too long with the final explanation/revelation, bu it is nonetheless a well-crafted work by every body involved. I recommend checking it out.
