And Tomorrow the Entire World

This.film has so much potential and fails on so many levels that it is really sad to watch. A lost effort. Two stars for occasional Olivier Assays style editing that unfortunately does not help patch up lack of motivation in characters and lack of story development.

Never have I seen a film come so close to making a point and then miss the mark entirely. The acting is fantastic, especially by lead Emde, the cinematography is striking, and the editing is well done. But the script reads like a first year's essay on Free Speech and Fascism that didn't bother to do any real research. For a much better version of this film, check out "The East."

Artistic results usually remain without risk when the state interferes. German films are often funded by federal agencies, so I don't expect any revolutionary ideas, but rather a kind of soft rinse format. This film has exactly that, no really convincing story, on the contrary, everything is actually lost in a dichotomy of good and evil, which doesn't really work either. Of course, you can't just imply leftist groups are the good guys, but if I already have the group of neo-fascists, who you really can't leave a good hair on, then I need more knowledge about the motives of leftist cells that take action against them. Spoiled female law students, whose middle-class parents go hunting, and who want to move out of this cocoon of security, remain just a mere cliché, if I don't add anything personal. And the director has not succeeded in doing that with any of her characters. Actually, the theme is thus missed and the characters all remain indifferent.

The movie captured some media interest in Germany when it was screened in Venice film festival but was also critisised by leftists focussing on the childish and psychotic behaviour of the antifascist group. So I was at least curious. Well, the movie doesn't live up to expectations. The story is a bit dull and I had a hard time to follow it. Shooting and edit is not bad but the visual side also failed to hold up my interest. On the positive side I think the acting is at least authentic and the movie lacks the usual dose of policial indoctrination.

Was intrigued through the start but then it just went on and on and nothing really happened. I could not get what emotions they wanted the leftists portray with most shots showing them on the wrong side with childish and immature acts. It made it seem like the right wing is non-violent and the leftists are violent lot. Ignore this borefest. Watch something else.