"Noch einmal zwanzig sein", which means "Being 20 once again" (therefore the reference in the title of my review), is a German television film from 2007, so this is almost 15 years old or, depending on when you read my review, even over 15 already, but for some strange reason, this is still shown here on national television, admittedly not in really prestigious slots, but still it is bad enough to not be shown at all. This has a lot to do with director Woernle and writer Peetz. Woernle started making films in the early 1970s, so has been in the industry for almost half a century now and is still working. In my opinion, her body of work is the epitome of a career fillied with atrocities and films that lack quality completely. But can you really blame her? Probably not. Those who deserve the blame are those who constantly keep employing her. If I could make a really well-paid career despite utter absence of talent and creativity, I probably would as well. As for writer Peetz, she is not half (not even a third I guess) as prolific as Woernle, but her body of work fits the exact same description: utterly terrible from beginning to end. Maybe Woernle's is even better. So with this duo in charge and ARD Degeto, the trashiest and most prolific (television) production company of the country, there was only one direction where this film could be heading: deep down into failure. With full speed. And it sure did. This also has to do with the fact that the lead actress here is Bettina Kupfer and she manages the almost impossible to make the screenplay seem even worse. Good nes is that she almost never plays lead characters, but here she does and her utter absence of talent becomes visible. It may sound harsh, but she is indeed this bad. Even the easiest scenes she messes up. I will get a bit into detail about that later. Sattmann and Czypionka are no sublime actors either, but next to Kupfer they seem like Pacino. Florian david Fitz deserves a mention too because he has made it really big a while after this film and is by far the most famous cast member now. However, before he had his breakthrough, also as a writer himself, he starred in quite a few of these terrible ARD TV productions. Definitely does not say something positive about him. Then again, recently he co-starred next to Schweighöfer, which certainly does not say anything positive either about him.
Now, let's focus on the outcome here. And I would say figuratively where it came out of is a butt. Absolutely terrible movie in terms of the script and the lead performance. So many scenes I could mention, like the marriage proposal scene. Or when one of the two older males hits Fitz' character in the end because he treats his daughter poorly. It is the usual with Degeto: extremely anti-male movies and there are so many examples of that, so much evidence. Just take a look how the two older guys are basically depicted in a way where their existence is only warranted by their longing for the female protagonist, who is neither really likeable, nor remotely attractive. But she is supposed to be seen as both. And sadly many people in the audience fall for it. I guess they find her likable because of her flaws? It is clearly a film directed at female audiences, but I applaud those females who see through this charade. The way they included the title, once as a direct quote, once as an indirect reference, felt also very clumsy. Also the film is so bad that it makes the music of George Michael and Queen slightly less likable. No words for that. The dancing sequence in the end and the character sccreaming out this is her favorite song had such a negative impact and I usually love Queen. Can they not start a copyright claim or something to prevent this trash film from being shown in the future. Your GEZ money at work by the way, folks. Also the big spectacular final sequence with the fiighting on those boatss was supposed to be a highlight, but it is the exact opposite. Honestly, I thought they would go for more anti-male stuff here with the guy falling in the water first, but it was supposed to be a tie. Of course, the woman fell first, which you could see easily, even if they lie to us immediately afterwards that it was supposed to be the male. So basically, also a lie that it is a tie. That even rhymes. More creative than the entire movie I am. Also how they got selected in quite a coincidence to be the ones fighting on the boat was ridiculous. So predictable. Or how the woman was struggling initially, but then went on par with the guy. Or how in the preparation sequence with the other old guy she actually beat him. This was so scripted and presented so poorly that I cringed all along. Besides, isn't her husband supposed to be really good at this game and yet he cannot win? He sure did not let her win. Or let he achieve a tie. It is all a joke here. Also how we are supposed to be fine with the female protagonist going and making out with a childhood love before realizing her husband is who she loves. But yeah, again she is so desirable that the other man thought a thousand times of the situation in which he would see her again. This was maybe the most cringeworthy quote from the entire film. And that says quite something. And definitely not in a positive way. So yeah, this is all then. I could mention another half a dozen terrible scenes, maybe a dozen even, but I'll leave it at that. At least tehy did not decide to construct a romance story for the husband with the other woman he hates initially, but then they end up close to each other, and the female lead with her childhood love. This would have been the one way to turn this into an even crappier movie. Make the impossible possible. In the utmost negative sense. Still, it is obviously bad enough without such a twist for my worst rating. Never give ones or actually I give one out of five. Highly not recommended.
Now, let's focus on the outcome here. And I would say figuratively where it came out of is a butt. Absolutely terrible movie in terms of the script and the lead performance. So many scenes I could mention, like the marriage proposal scene. Or when one of the two older males hits Fitz' character in the end because he treats his daughter poorly. It is the usual with Degeto: extremely anti-male movies and there are so many examples of that, so much evidence. Just take a look how the two older guys are basically depicted in a way where their existence is only warranted by their longing for the female protagonist, who is neither really likeable, nor remotely attractive. But she is supposed to be seen as both. And sadly many people in the audience fall for it. I guess they find her likable because of her flaws? It is clearly a film directed at female audiences, but I applaud those females who see through this charade. The way they included the title, once as a direct quote, once as an indirect reference, felt also very clumsy. Also the film is so bad that it makes the music of George Michael and Queen slightly less likable. No words for that. The dancing sequence in the end and the character sccreaming out this is her favorite song had such a negative impact and I usually love Queen. Can they not start a copyright claim or something to prevent this trash film from being shown in the future. Your GEZ money at work by the way, folks. Also the big spectacular final sequence with the fiighting on those boatss was supposed to be a highlight, but it is the exact opposite. Honestly, I thought they would go for more anti-male stuff here with the guy falling in the water first, but it was supposed to be a tie. Of course, the woman fell first, which you could see easily, even if they lie to us immediately afterwards that it was supposed to be the male. So basically, also a lie that it is a tie. That even rhymes. More creative than the entire movie I am. Also how they got selected in quite a coincidence to be the ones fighting on the boat was ridiculous. So predictable. Or how the woman was struggling initially, but then went on par with the guy. Or how in the preparation sequence with the other old guy she actually beat him. This was so scripted and presented so poorly that I cringed all along. Besides, isn't her husband supposed to be really good at this game and yet he cannot win? He sure did not let her win. Or let he achieve a tie. It is all a joke here. Also how we are supposed to be fine with the female protagonist going and making out with a childhood love before realizing her husband is who she loves. But yeah, again she is so desirable that the other man thought a thousand times of the situation in which he would see her again. This was maybe the most cringeworthy quote from the entire film. And that says quite something. And definitely not in a positive way. So yeah, this is all then. I could mention another half a dozen terrible scenes, maybe a dozen even, but I'll leave it at that. At least tehy did not decide to construct a romance story for the husband with the other woman he hates initially, but then they end up close to each other, and the female lead with her childhood love. This would have been the one way to turn this into an even crappier movie. Make the impossible possible. In the utmost negative sense. Still, it is obviously bad enough without such a twist for my worst rating. Never give ones or actually I give one out of five. Highly not recommended.
