"Von ganzem Herzen" is a German television film from 2009, so this one had its 10th anniversary last year already and the writer and director here is Berno Kürten. Not too unusual because most of the time he also wrote the scripts for the films he directed. Like most small screen releases here in my country this one also runs for slightly under 1.5 hours. The cast is below-average I would say even for a TV film. Most of the actors featured in here you will have no clue who they are and back then when this was made things were probably not really different. The exception is certainly Gudrun Landgrebe, who was among Germany's most successful actresses during her peak and while I have seen some of her older stuff and also found her fairly overrated, it is still not saying anything positive that she now has to accept roles like this one here. Oh well actually, it was over a decade ago we should not forget that, but I think her body of work in terms of more recent projects is not looking any better. Her male co-lead is Siss actor Christian Kohlund and I am not really sure if I know him. Maybe I have come across him in other films, but nothing clicks really. He reminds me mostly of a poor man's version of Peter Simonischek somehow. Or maybe that statement is a bit rude because he was still maybe the best actor in this film if we look at the performances. Just in terms of style I mean. Luise Bähr plays the daughter and I really cannot say anything about her. Seems as if she has been in many weak projects and yes I also count "You Are Wanted" among these. It's still Schweighöfer regardless of people seeing it abroad or not. And finally Patrick Güldenberg, well him I somehow recognized, but he also has a face you don't forget too quickly and these big ears. I must say there is something about him and his acting that rings really false to me. If anybody is likable in this film, it is his character, but he just cannot pull it off. So taking a look at the quartet of key cast members here, I would say they all have appeared in many many other weak films, so it fits that they are in here because director Kürten, who launched his career with Nena, has also directed many really bad films. Saw another one not too long ago actually. But somehow, they are all still having careers.
Now back to this one here. I will give you a basic plot summary and then mention several scenes and moments that made it easy for me to decide this is a really horrible movie. It's the story of a mother coming back to Germany from the United States. She runs into a successful writer and after struggling with each other initially, the two get along and eventually fall in love. As for the woman's grown-up daughter, she is not too happy to have her mother around her now maybe even constantly and she is much more busy anyway trying to get an interview with said writer about his new book. At the same time,t he daughter is wooed by her best friend, who clearly wants more than friendship. At the end, these two also end up together as a couple. At least this is indicated. This was actually the only part I somewhat liked because I felt that she will keep playing with him and the poor guy will maybe lose a great chance because he stays in Germany. So a super happy ending like with the two older characters would have felt unrealistic. Then again it would have fit nicely because everything about this film feels unrealistic. Just take the moment the girl goes to the airport and she sees the writer. Of course completely out of nowhere the exact same moment her mother steps out and she does not even know she is in Germany. Let's not question why she did not tell her daughter beforehand. We won't find an answer. She also does not want to surprise her because at the airport she tells her. Oh yeah of course, the daughter also pretends to study something else than her mother thinks she is and that idea is completely thrown away eventually and not elaborated on anymore. Next thing the two older characters already argue at the airport about a cigar. Both stand their ground as we see during scenes involving water and luggage afterwards. How realistic is it that these two check in at the exact same hotel in a really big city and have rooms next to each other? And the whole idea that the guy is one really successful writer is ridiculous too. Early on he is compared to Shakespeare (poor Shakespeare!) and then at the end we hear something of his writing. Oh boy that was not good. Or if we think he is actually this gifted, then what is up with him taking his inspiration so randomly from Landgrebe's character. Like there is zero plan, zero creativity inside himself apparently. It is just so ridiculous, especially when he says on one occasion that this is going to be his best book. I don't want to know how bad his previous books were then. And linked to that we get a really rushed happy ending then also as the book is of course finished and it is a huge success obviously. Oh my. Basically just two or three scenes after his boss sort of fired him and took away all his money. I guess they realized the film was about to end then with this happy ending scene and they thought something like oh okay now let's just make sure everybody is happy who cares about the plot.
As for the film's title: Yes it does sound like a Rosamunde Pilcher film and this is also the quality you can expect here. It's not necessarily cheesy, but really absurd and unrealistic. Like the plot refers to the female protagonist being a renowned cardiologist and she has an important speech that she totally messes up rambling about heart ache and emotioanl struggles linked to that, not physical. And the guy is in the audience rambling with her. Now this was perhaps the moment wwhen the film hit really rock-bottom because it would never have happened to Landgrebe's character the way it was depicted here. There is also this other suitor to her who is a colleague that as always in these films we won't forget how desirable she is. They also said somethink like how she is 10 years younger than the actress is and clearly she wasn't looking the part. Now this is what is really disrespectful towards female actresses. So yeah, the film is very bad at its core, but there are also many minor moments that show this film also lacks attention to detail completely. i will just mention one quick example, namely when the two women and young guy are having a picnic or something and the protagonist has to get back as quickly as possible and she says she is going to be there in 15 minutes and the guy spits out his water because he knows he will basically have to turn into a racing driver for that. That was just one of many cringeworthy moments from this movie. I could write another three paragraphs about these, but there is no need to because if you really plan on checking this one out (and I highly recommend you don't), then you will recognize these immediately because they are there less than every 150 seconds. Let's just take the hotel room and how people are constantly walking around inside and outside. Like on one occasion, the young woman is hiding and listening and she is so visible really. And we are supposed to believe he did not see her and still he saw Landgrebe's character very early on? Come on. Or when the old guy and her daughter talk about her and she is with the old guy in the room hiding. It was supposed to be funny, but it's just awkward at best and that is a truly generous description for the quality of this movie. Also what was up with the guy working at the reception? Like every scene he has is so bad. The way it was written I mean. Plain horrible. The only thing positive I can say here is that really not even the best actors could have made this script work I believe. And that Luise Bähr is somewhat attractive. But my recommendation is that you keep your distance from this film. Even to be shown at noon here in Germany it is not good enough. Highly not recommended.
Now back to this one here. I will give you a basic plot summary and then mention several scenes and moments that made it easy for me to decide this is a really horrible movie. It's the story of a mother coming back to Germany from the United States. She runs into a successful writer and after struggling with each other initially, the two get along and eventually fall in love. As for the woman's grown-up daughter, she is not too happy to have her mother around her now maybe even constantly and she is much more busy anyway trying to get an interview with said writer about his new book. At the same time,t he daughter is wooed by her best friend, who clearly wants more than friendship. At the end, these two also end up together as a couple. At least this is indicated. This was actually the only part I somewhat liked because I felt that she will keep playing with him and the poor guy will maybe lose a great chance because he stays in Germany. So a super happy ending like with the two older characters would have felt unrealistic. Then again it would have fit nicely because everything about this film feels unrealistic. Just take the moment the girl goes to the airport and she sees the writer. Of course completely out of nowhere the exact same moment her mother steps out and she does not even know she is in Germany. Let's not question why she did not tell her daughter beforehand. We won't find an answer. She also does not want to surprise her because at the airport she tells her. Oh yeah of course, the daughter also pretends to study something else than her mother thinks she is and that idea is completely thrown away eventually and not elaborated on anymore. Next thing the two older characters already argue at the airport about a cigar. Both stand their ground as we see during scenes involving water and luggage afterwards. How realistic is it that these two check in at the exact same hotel in a really big city and have rooms next to each other? And the whole idea that the guy is one really successful writer is ridiculous too. Early on he is compared to Shakespeare (poor Shakespeare!) and then at the end we hear something of his writing. Oh boy that was not good. Or if we think he is actually this gifted, then what is up with him taking his inspiration so randomly from Landgrebe's character. Like there is zero plan, zero creativity inside himself apparently. It is just so ridiculous, especially when he says on one occasion that this is going to be his best book. I don't want to know how bad his previous books were then. And linked to that we get a really rushed happy ending then also as the book is of course finished and it is a huge success obviously. Oh my. Basically just two or three scenes after his boss sort of fired him and took away all his money. I guess they realized the film was about to end then with this happy ending scene and they thought something like oh okay now let's just make sure everybody is happy who cares about the plot.
As for the film's title: Yes it does sound like a Rosamunde Pilcher film and this is also the quality you can expect here. It's not necessarily cheesy, but really absurd and unrealistic. Like the plot refers to the female protagonist being a renowned cardiologist and she has an important speech that she totally messes up rambling about heart ache and emotioanl struggles linked to that, not physical. And the guy is in the audience rambling with her. Now this was perhaps the moment wwhen the film hit really rock-bottom because it would never have happened to Landgrebe's character the way it was depicted here. There is also this other suitor to her who is a colleague that as always in these films we won't forget how desirable she is. They also said somethink like how she is 10 years younger than the actress is and clearly she wasn't looking the part. Now this is what is really disrespectful towards female actresses. So yeah, the film is very bad at its core, but there are also many minor moments that show this film also lacks attention to detail completely. i will just mention one quick example, namely when the two women and young guy are having a picnic or something and the protagonist has to get back as quickly as possible and she says she is going to be there in 15 minutes and the guy spits out his water because he knows he will basically have to turn into a racing driver for that. That was just one of many cringeworthy moments from this movie. I could write another three paragraphs about these, but there is no need to because if you really plan on checking this one out (and I highly recommend you don't), then you will recognize these immediately because they are there less than every 150 seconds. Let's just take the hotel room and how people are constantly walking around inside and outside. Like on one occasion, the young woman is hiding and listening and she is so visible really. And we are supposed to believe he did not see her and still he saw Landgrebe's character very early on? Come on. Or when the old guy and her daughter talk about her and she is with the old guy in the room hiding. It was supposed to be funny, but it's just awkward at best and that is a truly generous description for the quality of this movie. Also what was up with the guy working at the reception? Like every scene he has is so bad. The way it was written I mean. Plain horrible. The only thing positive I can say here is that really not even the best actors could have made this script work I believe. And that Luise Bähr is somewhat attractive. But my recommendation is that you keep your distance from this film. Even to be shown at noon here in Germany it is not good enough. Highly not recommended.
