I'm certain this is going to be Germany's nominee for the Oscars.
The auteur, David Wnendt, seems to have collected a lot of true stories and pieced them together into a fast-paced, very violent, often harrowing and quite unpredictable plot.
Most of you don't know the East German neo-nazi scene. You'll ask yourself if this is really how these people live and talk. Believe me, it is. This movie is so close to reality it often feels like a documentary. I expected to sit in the cinema nitpicking, counting mistakes. I found just one. (A license plate with an "88" in it. The German license plate office doesn't allow that.) All the actors are unknowns and few of them get to shine. All the adults in this story are wooden and almost all the teenagers are idiots. Their main job is to convey total ignorance about the extent of their ignorance. They do that well. Jella Haase is very good.
But Alina Levshin is the one who's superstar material. This is her movie, and it will be remembered as her breakthrough. Two of the movie's most memorable scenes are long uncut closeups of her face, not speaking, and they're some of the best acting I've seen, ever.
Do see it. Just don't expect to sleep easily the night after.
Plot summary
Marisa, a 20-year-old German girl, hates foreigners, Jews, cops, and everyone she finds guilty for the decline of her country. She provokes, drinks, and fights, and her next tattoo will be a portrait of Adolf Hitler. The only place she feels at home is the Neo-Nazi gang she belongs to, where hate, violence, and heavy parties are the daily agenda. When 14-year-old Svenja joins the group, Marisa appears like a role model to her: she fits the purest idea of a combat girl fighting for the group's ideology. But Marisa's convictions slowly evolve when she accidentally meets a young Afghan refugee. Confronted to him, she will learn that the black and white principles of her gang are not the only way. Will Marisa ever be able to get out of this group?—David Wnendt
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Deeply touching and painfully authentic
To judge or not to judge
The topic of right wing extremists in Germany is a very hot one. The movie tries to stay as real as possible with its depiction of the characters it portrays and the world they are living in. It's not an easy watch and it especially isn't easy to play. Main actress does a fabulous job here.
The morality is clear and that is why the movie does not emphasize on certain things. You'll either like this approach or you'll think it's takes the matter too lightly. Whatever the case don't expect your usual mainstream approach. The movie will not resolve everything or not in a satisfying kind of way. The acting alone is worth watching it of course.
Very good!!
Very good by all means. Done marvelously in the technical and artistic way. And did I say very touching? The movie has dark and very heavy structure. It looks so authentic that involves you easily and then make you upset. It gives a smart portrait of the local neo-nazi movement in one German town but also all the social background that causes the phenomena of it. The basis of the whole movement was actually shown through the character of the main character. The ideals of its members are the same but the inner struggles of the individuals are individual. Fight between good and bad, between love and hate depicted beautifully followed by excellent acting. I also found the music very good. Excellent work! Keep on working.