Simply Perfect

It is a performances centric movie

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

I want to thank the American reviewer who explained some of the movie-making details of this film, because I was truly bewildered by the quality and the realism of acting. The first time I saw it (maybe a couple of years ago) I rated HALBE TREPPE only a 7. Now, after second viewing, it has become a 10. Out of 1000+ films, I rated only 17 movies this high.But it was an easy "full tenner". The story is just so engaging and there are no dull moments at all. That's quite an accomplishment for a movie with this subject matter, I think. Also, the cinematography was very competent. It captured everything that had to be captured, every meaningful move and look. When you watch closely, you'll even notice some beautiful outdoor shots.I like the movie more than several Dogme films I've seen, which are made quite similarly, but in my opinion are less vibrant, funny and involving. HALBE TREPPE makes you think about relationships, commitment, morals and personal conviction. Try to see this one.

I saw this movie in a very unique fashion. The director, Andreas Dresen, was visiting my college and screening the movie. My German Studies teacher (the focus of the class is contemporary German culture, and using film as a source) had us all meet there and see it. We got to meet the director, and ask him all kinds of questions.He revealed that this movie was created in a unique fashion: almost all of the acting was improvised, and only very few scenes were scripted, and that was only done for consistency. The crew was EXTREMELY small, consisting of mainly the 4 main actors, Dresen, a cameraman, and a audio person. Everything was on the spot and improvised, giving the movie an almost documentary-like quality, and many scenes were filmed on a whim. In fact, Dresen revealed that the interviews that are interspersed throughout the movie, he did not mean to originally include. They were only meant to see if the actors were in character, and to see how they, as their character, would respond to the given questions and situations. To give the movie an authentic and natural feel, each actor in fact spent some time, I believe Dresen said a few months, actually working the job that they had in the movie. Also, Uwe is only shown smoking constantly because the actor, Axel, is a chain smoker. The musicians playing out of the toilet was originally a fleeting suggestions the group (17 Hippies) had made, and Dresen never intended to keep. The scene where Katrin walks alone in the snow was filmed basically before the movie had a plot, with hopes that it could possibly be included somewhere along the way. The dentist scene was a fleeting suggestion that Axel had made; he told Dresen that he was going to the dentist, and if maybe he wanted to come along and film something that could be used in the movie in his role as Uwe. In fact, the real dentist's nurse refused to be on camera, and Dresen had to get someone (from his small crew) to stand in for the position in the shot, but the actual operation and tooth removal is all REAL, live footage. Also,the first time Uwe tells the musician outside the stand to go away, he was never supposed to go back out and yell at him to go down to the lamppost, and in fact the musician was not supposed to obey him and move down there. Apparently the 17 Hippes, the musicians, were so convincing as street musicians that when the crew was not filming, people would actually throw them change. I apologize for these revelations not being in any particular order, but I found them fascinating, and wanted to share them.

The Scandinavian Dogme rules have found their way abroad. That's what I first thought after seeing this movie. No use of artificial sets, everything filmed with a hand-held camera,... even the story reminded me of those movies. Is that a good or a bad thing I hear you think. Well, personally I like that kind of movies, but if you are only used to watch the mayor American blockbusters, then you better leave this movie alone, because this certainly isn't what you will be looking for.The story of the movie is quite simple. Two married couples, who both have been married for quite some time, see each other regularly. One couple is made up by Chris, a radio DJ and Katrin, who works at a truck stop. The other couple is formed by Uwe, who owns a small snack / grill bar and Ellen, who works in sales at a perfume shop. Ellen isn't very happy in her marriage with Uwe and when she starts an affair with Chris, all seems to get better for her. But then they get caught by Katrin who walks in on them while they are bathing together and everything explodes. Each of them has a completely different way of dealing with it and while some weird things happen around them, the events force them to think about their marriages, their friendship, the relationships with each other and so many more things...As I already said, this entire movie feels a lot like it has been influenced by the Scandinavian Dogme rules. I know that there aren't too many people who like that, but personally I do. Most of the time it offers honest cinema without too much extra's and that's exactly what you'll get from this movie as well. The relationships between the four leads are real and believable, as are the people themselves (they don't look like smart Barbie dolls, but are normal human beings). Add to this a story which forms the most important part of the movie, that isn't spoiled by some kind of spectacular stunt work, but offers some fine comic relieves so now and then (especially with the band that stands before Uwe's snack bar and grows larger every day even though he tells them to leave) and you know that you have a nice movie. Overall this is definitely a movie that deserves to be seen by a larger audience. A good story and some fine acting, with this one they prove that a good film doesn't need more. That's why I give it a 7.5/10.

I excuse in advance for my bad English! It's late and I'm German! :-) When I read the critic that has already been done I get the impression that he hasn't understood the film. This is so much symbolic! The orchestra that is growing more and more during the film is not only because of fun, it means something! Find out yourself what it could mean for you! It's not a comedy film. Not everything that you can laugh about means it is funny. Sometimes people laugh about things which are actually very sad, and a part of THEM too, but they CAN'T see it!! It's a drama, everything about this film is drama, like normal life. The normal life is often so depressing and sad... Well, we try to make the best of it, we laugh... And more and more we loose the gift to see clear. It's our life that is represented in this film. WE ARE that ridiculous. Have you realized the bird that escaped from his cage? In the end it comes back... What could it mean?