"Schöne Lügen", which means "Beautiful Lies", is a German television film from 2003, so this one is getting closer to its 20th anniversary and depending on when you read this review, maybe it happened already. This is another of uncountable Degeto productions, which is already enough information to know that this movie is most likely gonna suck a lot, but if you are still not convinced yet, then a look at the filmographies of director Hattor and writer Walter-Lingen should do the trick. Simply abysmal. One horrible television project follows/followed the next. Both are not really young anymore, especially Hattop, so the sooner they decide to retire and stop making movies, the better it is for everybody, especially audiences. This film here is definitely not an exception. It is complete garbage as well and I find it virtually impossible to find anything positive about the overall outcome. The lead actress here is Susanna Simon. I would not call her famous or anything, but people who frequently watch German television films may have come across her in other projects. So have I, but I must say that she almost always sucked and is the final nail in the coffin for this movie. Even really simple scenes that did not require any range felt fake because of her inclusion and hitting the wrong notes. This already starts through a simple conversation with a colleague at the very beginning of the movie. This scene by the way also includes the first mention of anti-male propaganda you find so many times in Degeto films, simply because they are made for female audiences mostly. Housewives etc. Anyway, back to the subject: Don't even get me started about Simon's acting in more serious, more challenging scenes. Unreal stuff. So so bad. Of course, the screenplay is not doing her any favors either with how the character is written, but then again nobody forced her to accept the role. As for the other cast members, some names are mildly famous. Or probably were mildly famous back then. Morgenroth's face seemed familiar, although the name really isn't. At least not to me and I am already a huge film buff when it comes to German stuff. However, Tietze, Hoger and von Weitershausen I have all heard the names of these at least, even if their popularity has been sinking for a long time as well. Don't think I have seen them in anything more recent. This is a pretty old film needs to be said for sure. Still, everybody from this trio plays characters that do not have a lot of screen time at all, but are all rather insignificant. Just like the entire movie.
Now, let me elaborate a bit on specific scenes that prove how this is such a horrible movie. The worst is probably that they meant it all seriously, that they thought they were really telling a deep character study about beauty, shallowness (is this the word?) and most of all a woman experiencing a great character transformation after a tragic accident. Said accident is already a truly bad joke. The way they depicted it in slow motion could not have been handled worse, especially the idea how the girl was in lethal danger. No matter how many times they repeat it, it doesn't make it true. What a joke. The worst that could have happened there is an injury equal to the one the woman experiences. The most embarrassing thing is probably that the doctor who treats the woman repeats the story too although he was not even near and it is all make-believe. For the protagonist as well as everybody in the audience. This was probably the worst about the first half, even if there are many other disappointing moments at all that just made no sense or felt really fake. Just take the injury of the man the protagonist meets when she is in that rehab clinic. Does that even exist? Or did they just come up with an entirely new diagnosis of a medical phenomenon that again has nothing to do with reality. In any case, even if it exists, the way how they explained it and elaborated on it would be the worst insult to people actually suffering from it. Just like the protagonist's medical condition is a slap in the face of everybody who really was in a fire accident and may struggle with scars. Not even the looks of the injury felt authentic, so every production area here struggled hard, even the make-up department. Honestly, they were so foolish and clumsy that I would not even be surprised if they accidentally put the scar on the wrong side of the face on one occasion. They probably didn't, but if they did, then I am 100% sure that either they would not have recognized or, had they recognized, they simply would not have changed it and hoped nobody realizes. That's how low the attention to detail is here. Anyway, a few more examples on how much the second half of this movie sucks. A brief sequence involving another fire effect was actually a nice idea, but how it brings back memories for her was handled again in a very cringeworthy manner and how she runs away. This was maybe also the weakest moment from the soundtrack composer(s). And as there were many (weak moments), this means quite something. Terrible score as well. The worst is yet to come though. I am talking about the affair or quick ONS with the guy she met at the clinic. How they argue, almost fight physically and then start kissing, making out and eventually have passionate sex. Honestly, I have rarely seen a romantic or sensual scene that felt so out of place, so stupid like that one. And I have seen lots. It was actually so bad that I had to start laughing hard that moment because of all the cringe. We should not forget that the main character is still a desirable woman of course. Not only does the new guy want her, but her husband wants her back too. With him, the anti-male propaganda continues. He has sex with his affair the night the terrible accident happens of course and he has beg for forgiveness after his affair becomes public, but in the end Degeto can't argue against marriage and the two are back together with both of them having changed. Talk about character developments (maybe even transformations) created by a writer who does not have a single talented bone in her body it seems. The outcome is accordingly. And right when you thought you finally made it through this mess and the closing credits are about to roll in, they made totally sure that the films inds on the loest note possible with the fakest happy ending imaginable as the main character screams out joyfully about how she wants a baby now with her husband. Good god! What an abomination this movie is. Not sure what is more shameful. That this was even made and released. Or that it is still shown on national television almost two decades later. That's what you pay ARD, ZDF etc. their money to. For crap like this being made. Congratulations! Stand up.
Now, let me elaborate a bit on specific scenes that prove how this is such a horrible movie. The worst is probably that they meant it all seriously, that they thought they were really telling a deep character study about beauty, shallowness (is this the word?) and most of all a woman experiencing a great character transformation after a tragic accident. Said accident is already a truly bad joke. The way they depicted it in slow motion could not have been handled worse, especially the idea how the girl was in lethal danger. No matter how many times they repeat it, it doesn't make it true. What a joke. The worst that could have happened there is an injury equal to the one the woman experiences. The most embarrassing thing is probably that the doctor who treats the woman repeats the story too although he was not even near and it is all make-believe. For the protagonist as well as everybody in the audience. This was probably the worst about the first half, even if there are many other disappointing moments at all that just made no sense or felt really fake. Just take the injury of the man the protagonist meets when she is in that rehab clinic. Does that even exist? Or did they just come up with an entirely new diagnosis of a medical phenomenon that again has nothing to do with reality. In any case, even if it exists, the way how they explained it and elaborated on it would be the worst insult to people actually suffering from it. Just like the protagonist's medical condition is a slap in the face of everybody who really was in a fire accident and may struggle with scars. Not even the looks of the injury felt authentic, so every production area here struggled hard, even the make-up department. Honestly, they were so foolish and clumsy that I would not even be surprised if they accidentally put the scar on the wrong side of the face on one occasion. They probably didn't, but if they did, then I am 100% sure that either they would not have recognized or, had they recognized, they simply would not have changed it and hoped nobody realizes. That's how low the attention to detail is here. Anyway, a few more examples on how much the second half of this movie sucks. A brief sequence involving another fire effect was actually a nice idea, but how it brings back memories for her was handled again in a very cringeworthy manner and how she runs away. This was maybe also the weakest moment from the soundtrack composer(s). And as there were many (weak moments), this means quite something. Terrible score as well. The worst is yet to come though. I am talking about the affair or quick ONS with the guy she met at the clinic. How they argue, almost fight physically and then start kissing, making out and eventually have passionate sex. Honestly, I have rarely seen a romantic or sensual scene that felt so out of place, so stupid like that one. And I have seen lots. It was actually so bad that I had to start laughing hard that moment because of all the cringe. We should not forget that the main character is still a desirable woman of course. Not only does the new guy want her, but her husband wants her back too. With him, the anti-male propaganda continues. He has sex with his affair the night the terrible accident happens of course and he has beg for forgiveness after his affair becomes public, but in the end Degeto can't argue against marriage and the two are back together with both of them having changed. Talk about character developments (maybe even transformations) created by a writer who does not have a single talented bone in her body it seems. The outcome is accordingly. And right when you thought you finally made it through this mess and the closing credits are about to roll in, they made totally sure that the films inds on the loest note possible with the fakest happy ending imaginable as the main character screams out joyfully about how she wants a baby now with her husband. Good god! What an abomination this movie is. Not sure what is more shameful. That this was even made and released. Or that it is still shown on national television almost two decades later. That's what you pay ARD, ZDF etc. their money to. For crap like this being made. Congratulations! Stand up.
