The talent of Corinna Harfouch and Ulrich Tukur, arguably among Germany's finest screen actors, is wasted on this attempt to make a Hitchcock movie in present-day Hamburg. Stumbling through pretentiously lit, bourgeois sets, they recite pathetic lines they obviously have a hard time taking seriously. The story (by Thomas Schwank) feels like it's based on Martin Suter's best-selling novel "Small World", but it has been so clumsily adapted it makes you squirm in your seat. I simply cannot believe this comes from acclaimed director Matthias Glasner, the man who brought us 1990s milestones like "Sexy Sadie" and "Fandango". The only bright spot is Judith Engel in the part of Tukur's wife, an unassuming second-glance beauty who keeps her cool amidst all the hot air.
