La belle affaire

This movie portrays those days perfectly. I remember it exactly like that, the colors, the environment, the way people thought and behaved. A bit confusing because everything happened very fast, as not to lose the window of opportunity to unify Germany again. Actually realistic, even if doesn't seem so for an outsider.

The relationship between the characters shows the liberty that some citizens took, the little freedom they had. The collapse of the communist system happened exactly like that. Many people were quite lost and overwhelmed by the changes. The movie shows the human side inmidst of that chaos.

I was not born yet during the separation of Eastern and Western Germany, so I can´t speak to any nostalgic value that this movie might have for people who experienced this crucial part of German history. However, this movie fails in almost every other aspect. I really don´t want to be mean, but I think this might have been the worst movie that I have seen in the cinema this year.

The first thing you notice is how bad it looks. The colour coding is fine, but overall it just looks cheap. I am sure this was not a big budget production (aside from the pretty high level cast), but particularly the "action" sequences have this "TV commercial" look. It is hard to describe, but I could not unsee it once I noticed it. Some scenes are also edited in a weird way where the camera lingers on for a few seconds, even though the characters have left the scene already, which makes everything seem very slow.

The second thing you notice is the unnatural sounding dialogue. The conversations don´t flow naturally, many sentences are phrased in a way that might sound good written out on paper, but no one would actually talk like that. Scenes have to get from one point to another, and you can tell that the dialogue tries to get there as quickly as possible, without bothering to make it sound authentic.

But what´s worst is the plot itself that is overall very inconsistent, poorly structured, lacks tension, and does at times not make much sense.

The basic premise of stealing old money and trying to turn it into new one is very straightforward. Add making a little fun about the greedy Westerners and you have a fun little movie. But the movie takes itself way too seriously. It wants to make big statements about how money corrupts, how they will deliver justice to their neighbourhood, how they have been lied to by their government...but all these themes are totally underexplored, because there are too many of them. In one scene, the movie goes into one direction, characters seem to be motivated by a certain thing, just to abandon this plotline completely and have everyone focus on something completely different. This is also exemplified by the one guy from the "love triangle" that wants to leave, then wants to come back, then wants to leave, then wants to come back etc. What outcome are we rooting for?

While the whole story is going for a "feel-good" vibe, it turns very childish instead in my opinion. The sequences of stealing the money and being chased by the guards feel like taken straight from a cartoon. Conflicts (out of which there are few) are resolved immediately before they can build up actual tension. Meanwhile side characters (out of which there are too many) are reduced to one-dimensional stereotypes. The way the story is told is targeted at children, while those children will most likely not be able to relate to the topic of the movie at all.

And just a brief point about the main plot itself (SPOILER ALERT). Their plan of buying as many western goods as possible with their "worthless" money and then selling them in the West to make a profit is already pretty implausible. Do they really think they will be able to privately sell back all those insane amounts of stuff that are being sold in the West anyway? Fine. But you are telling me, that this fraction of money that will be brought into the German market from this one residential block is enough to make the German government worry about inflation? Come on. This whole security apparatus in the money storage facility is also ridiculous. They are guarding piles of worthless money with an armada of machine gun slinging guards and vehicles, that are then bribed into letting everyone go by getting a microwave? Kids movie, sure.

Overall, I did not have high expectations, but it was still a disappointing experience. Even the great actors could not save it. 2/10.

1990: The BRD GmbH is structurally badly damaged and needs a new economic miracle. The remedy came in the form of a purely self-orientated incorporation of the once-separated part. The great saviours brought false freedom, shattered dreams and took functioning economic goods and a well-trained, motivated (cheap) workforce. Skilled labour, not the denigration of the word, which is currently being flushed into the country under the same name. A new market for the rubbish of western culture emerged out of nowhere, the old part sent its most unscrupulous soldiers of fortune to conquer the new wild land, squeeze it dry and get it on track. The new heads were the most incompetent people from the West and, apart from a few pawns, the old ones from the East. After all, the old Nazi-based BRD had good experience with this.

A bittersweet journey through time and probably only suitable for viewers of certain backgrounds. Everyone else will not understand things like cohesion and community. But all this was quickly replaced by the new values, foreign exchange and consumption. The inner turmoil after waking up in a new world is only touched on roughly and rather strikingly in the film, but the change to greed for values is portrayed better. "Two to One" obviously wants to entertain first and foremost, as can be seen from the poster; depth and drama were therefore a secondary priority. However, the running time is a little too long for this concept. Sandra Hüller is undoubtedly the marketing drawcard, but is subordinate to the rest of the cast. Despite the hint of Hollywood, we are clearly in the 'German' genre, including sepia-toned visuals and a soothing soundtrack. Nevertheless, it is an interesting look back and, with a little thought, quite moving.

No pun intended - I reckon towards the end there is also the Ugly ... which is why I have a bit of mixed feelings. This seems mostly fun and games - yes the stakes are high. But the mood change that occurs ... is almost uncalled for and in my view almost derails the movie ... I say almost because it still is able to swing around and become a bit lighter! Though I reckon that is not entirely true about the kids toy ... but you'll understand once you watch.

The kid is really good by the way. Most of the actors are doing a phenomenal job. With kids you do not always know what you'll be getting - she is one to watch for sure. The whole thing (premise wise) is based on a true story. But I reckon they made up the characters - which seems to be supported by what you get to read in the end credits.

Talking of which, if you were entertained by the movie - there is a short clip after the credits rolled ... which is a nice touch! Nothing big, but a fun one for those who care. The odds were in their favor it seems ... (not just two to one) ...

A movie whose amateurish production is only undercut by its underlying ideology. Making such a high-caliber cast look so weak is an art in itself. Due to the almost non-existent narrative structure, the one-dimensional characters and the incredibly simplistic world view, the movie drags on painfully and after 30 minutes it feels like you've already spent two hours. The supposed moral superiority of the protagonists is imposed so forcefully that it becomes unbearable at some point.

If you are into Ostalgie and self-pity and consider the socialism of the former GDR to be the superior political system, this movie is a good choice. For the rest, rather not.