Almost Heaven (2005)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Ed Herzog

Writers:

Ed Herzog (screenplay) &
Paul Herzberg (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 August 2005 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy | Music

Plot Keywords:

Con Woman | Female Singer | Caribbean | Ambition | Reggae

Cast

Heike Makatsch	...	Helen Schuster
Wotan Wilke Möhring	...	Carlo Schuster
Katharina Schmalenberg	...	Goth Patient
Ivan Shvedoff	...	Strike
Bernhard Marsch	...	Security Nerd
Piet Fuchs	...	Security Nerd
Valeria Risi	...	German Airline Representative
Wieslawa Wesolowska	...	Female Airport Security
Lars Gärtner	...	Male Airport Security
Kerry Stacey	...	Jamaican Woman at Security
Neila Ebanks	...	Stewardess
Michael London	...	Jamaican Priest
Natalie Thompson	...	Jamaican Airways Representative
Chris McFarlane	...	Taxi Driver
Carlton James	...	Elderly Man
Nikki Amuka-Bird	...	Rosie (as Nikki Amuka Bird)
Hugh Douse	...	Conductor
Clifford Warmington	...	Man on Bed
Audrey Reid	...	Audrey
Wilmot Grey	...	Chicken Man (as Wilmot 'Jingle Bells' Grey)
Winston Bell	...	Car Rental Man
Carl Davis	...	Pablo
Paul Sheen	...	Police Officer
Joni Valentine	...	Djamilla
Dorothy Cunningham	...	Herlette
Terence Harold	...	Farenheit (as Terence 'Fahrenheit' Harold)
Nicholas Hemming	...	Spoonhead
Tanya Stephens	...	Herself
Ronald 'Too Small' Small	...	Huge Man
Greta Schwab	...	Ambassador's Secretary
Michael Gwisdek	...	German Ambassador
Keith Wellington	...	Bus Driver (as Keith 'Goosie' Wellington)
Aline Leclere	...	French Tourist
Damian Baccon	...	French Tourist
Carl Bradshaw	...	Shervin
Jerry Benzwick	...	Steward
Juliet Baboorah	...	Hotel Receptionist
Natonya Bradshaw	...	Hotel Shop Assistant
Oliver Samuels	...	Hotel Manager
Paul Herzberg	...	Blaggen
Allan Swymmer	...	The Coconut Boys (as The Jolly Boys)
Albert Watson	...	The Coconut Boys (as The Jolly Boys)
Nelson Miller	...	The Coconut Boys (as The Jolly Boys)
Ashley Hollis	...	American Teenager
Kylie DeWitt	...	American Teenager
Wilfred Rowe	...	Taxi Driver 2
Lascelles Small	...	Hotel Barkeeper
Colin Bell	...	Hotel Detective
Charles Hyatt	...	Doctor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Regina Lemnitz	...	Voice of Herlette (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Ed Herzog

Writing credits
Ed Herzog		(screenplay) &
Paul Herzberg		(screenplay)
Bridget Lawless		additional writing
Jessica Townsend		additional writing

Produced by
Jürgen Biesinger	....	junior producer: Egoli Tossell Film
Katalin Gödrös	....	creative producer
David Groenewold	....	co-producer
Natalie Thompson	....	line producer: Jamaica
Judy Tossell	....	producer
Marc Wächter	....	line producer
Udo Happel	....	co-producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Bill Frisell

Cinematography by
Sebastian Edschmid

Film Editing by
Uta Schmidt

Production Design by
Stefan Schönberg

Art Direction by
Eric Fischell

Set Decoration by
Sabine Richter

Costume Design by
Beate Scheel

Makeup Department
Cecile S. Burrowes	....	makeup artist (as Cecile Burrowes)
Man LeHue	....	additional makeup artist: Cologne
Teri Rattray-Wright	....	additional makeup artist
Claudia Schaaf	....	makeup artist: Cologne
Susanne Woerle-Jiritano	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Markus Brinkmann	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Annette Drees	....	first assistant director: Cologne
Rebecca Packer	....	second assistant director
Marc Schötteldreier	....	second assistant director: Cologne
Selim Sevinc	....	third assistant director: Cologne
Benjamin Stanigar	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Perrington Allen	....	carpenter assistant
Mr. Brown	....	carpenter assistant
Paul Daye	....	carpenter
Donovan	....	carpenter assistant
Courtney Durrant	....	set dresser: Port Antonio
Jutta Freyer	....	set designer assistant: Cologne
Shannon Hart	....	set/props buyer
Morris Miller	....	carpenter supervisor
Otis	....	carpenter supervisor
Paul	....	carpenter supervisor
Howard Pollock	....	carpenter: Winifred Beach
Stefan Rose	....	carpenter: Cologne
Leroy Samuels	....	carpenter assistant
Derrick Smith	....	carpenter assistant
Steve	....	carpenter assistant
Toni	....	carpenter supervisor
Dirk Wargala	....	carpenter: Cologne (as Dirk Wargalla)
Dagmar Wiggenhauser	....	set designer: Cologne

Sound Department
Oliver Barth	....	sound editor
Anja Bause	....	adr recordist
Bernd Hackmann	....	sound recordist
Robert Jäger	....	sound re-recording mixer
Christa Kistner	....	dubbing editor
Don McGregor	....	sound recordist
Marc Oliver-Meyer	....	dialogue editor: German
Frank Regente	....	boom operator (as Frank 'Talky' Regente)
Sylvain Remy	....	boom operator: Cologne
Günther Röhn	....	foley artist
Dominik Schleier	....	sound editor (as Dominik Schleier)
Kai Schoormann	....	sound designer
Hans Schumann	....	foley editor: post-production
Henning Thölert	....	foley recordist

Visual Effects by
Marlo Boelens	....	post production engineer (as Marlo Boelenz)
Kerstin Kellner	....	color grader
Mathias Lilie	....	color grader
Stefan Müller	....	post production engineer
Caterina Schiffers	....	digital artist: title design
Gabriele Schultze	....	post production engineer
Sentje Sperling	....	color grader

Camera and Electrical Department
Earl Brown	....	best boy
Marc Lubosch	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Marc Lubosch	....	gaffer
Marco Martena	....	electrician: Cologne
Cleveland McKenzie	....	grip
David Osbourne	....	camera production assistant
Thorsten Querner	....	dolly grip
Björn Schäfer	....	assistant electrician: Cologne
Neville Smith	....	swing
Andrea Theis	....	focus puller
Jürgen Tomadini	....	best boy: Cologne
Tom Trambow	....	still photographer
Daniel Weber	....	clapper loader

Casting Department
Cecile S. Burrowes	....	casting: Kingston (as Cecile Burrowes)
Leo Davis	....	casting: UK
Anja Dihrberg	....	casting director: Germany
Alex Foster	....	extras casting
Katalin Gödrös	....	casting: children
Lissi Holm	....	additional casting: London
Bernhard Karl	....	casting director: Germany

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ane Bremer	....	wardrobe: Cologne
Petra Burmester	....	additional wardrobe: Cologne
Roxroy Dinham	....	wardrobe assistant (as Roxroy 'JD' Dinham)
Quindell Ferguson	....	wardrobe assistant
Michelle Haynes	....	wardrobe supervisor
Julia Koep	....	costume assistant: Cologne

Editorial Department
Daniela Grosch	....	assistant editor
Philip Whitfield	....	telecine colorist
Antje Ulrich	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Charlie Gillett	....	music supervisor
Tucker Martine	....	music engineer
Lee Townsend	....	producer: original score

Transportation Department
Rene Baumgartner	....	props driver: Cologne
Paul Bowen	....	driver
Michael Flossdorf	....	driver: Cologne
Manuel Guerna	....	driver: Cologne
Winford Henry	....	driver
Alvin Humphrey	....	driver: props
Joachim Lünenschloß	....	driver: Cologne (as Joachim Lünenschloss)
Kevin Pessoa	....	driver
Lescine Predergast	....	driver
Sherman Roberts	....	driver
Neville Smith	....	driver
Gesford Suglam	....	driver
Keith Wellington	....	transportation captain (as Keith 'Goosie' Wellington)

Other crew
Christian Berg	....	financial consultant: Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg
Lena Bockeloh	....	production coordinator
Claudia Brede	....	script supervisor
Stefanie Brummer	....	public relations: Egoli Tossell Film
Hans-Jürgen Bubser	....	accounting supervisor
Jimmy Bulgin	....	production accountant
Philipa-Anne Burnett	....	on-set production assistant
Paulette Campbell	....	on-set nurse
Oliver Damian	....	head of production
Ken Dawson	....	on-set production assistant (as Ken 'Kino' Dawson)
Garfield Edwards	....	set runner
Andreas Fense	....	legal consultant: Studio Babelsberg
Elijah Ferguson	....	set runner (as Elijah 'Fergie' Ferguson)
Klaus Flesch	....	production accountant
Julian Freixa	....	location manager
Sebastian Fröhlich	....	production assistant
Katalin Gödrös	....	dialogue script: German
Katalin Gödrös	....	script editor
Michael Haguip	....	travel agent
Niklas Hellemann	....	set runner
Ed Herzog	....	dialogue script: German
Katja Hoerstmann	....	coproduction coordinator: Studio Babelsberg
Thomas Klein	....	shipping agent
Neville Lyn	....	caterer
Sarah Manley	....	production coordinator
Robin Meurer	....	production assistant
Christian Ochse	....	catering: Cologne
Peter Packer	....	location manager
Stefan Plagemann	....	assistant set manager: Cologne
Douglas Reid	....	location assistant
Michael Schmetz	....	financial consultant: Egoli Tossell Film
Michael Schmid-Ospach	....	financial consultant: Filmstiftung
Carlington Silburn	....	on-set production assistant
Mary Sloper	....	on-set doctor
Sven Spörer	....	shipping agent
Tanya Taylor	....	production assistant
Lee R. Thompson	....	legal consultant
Reinhard Zölle	....	production accountant: Egoli Tossell Film
Clemens Ehses	....	accounting assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Al Borosi and The Musos	....	thanks
Tonia Andrew	....	thanks
Bob Andy	....	thanks
Steve Barrow	....	thanks
Pippa Best	....	thanks
Big Youth	....	thanks
John Boughtwood	....	thanks
Sibylle Breitbach	....	thanks
Martin Brem	....	thanks
Chris Curling	....	thanks
Clive Dickinson	....	thanks
Brent Dowe	....	thanks
Bernard Engleman	....	thanks
Axel Erler	....	thanks
Marc Gabizon	....	thanks
Barbara Häbe	....	thanks
Udo Happel	....	thanks
Bob Harding	....	thanks
Reinhard Hauff	....	thanks
Dave Hill	....	thanks
Jerome Huxley	....	thanks
Jade	....	thanks
Jasper	....	thanks
Jens	....	thanks
Joseph	....	thanks
Anna Justice	....	thanks
David Katz	....	thanks
Klaus Keil	....	thanks
Andrea Kessler	....	thanks
Britta Krause	....	thanks
Eberhard Kromer	....	thanks
Amy Kurland	....	thanks
Agnes Lampkin	....	thanks
Linus	....	thanks
Claudia Loewe	....	thanks
Jens Meurer	....	thanks
Mutabaruka	....	thanks
Ross Pelling	....	thanks
Cynthia Perry	....	thanks
Steve Phillips	....	thanks
Pionear & the Far East Band	....	thanks
Ellie Pitt	....	thanks
Florian Richter	....	thanks
Marc Robinson	....	thanks
Norbert Rudnitzky	....	thanks
Sabine	....	thanks
Michael Schmetz	....	thanks
Andreas Schreitmüller	....	thanks
Stephan Schulmeister	....	thanks
Chris Thomas	....	thanks
Volette Thomas-Wunder	....	thanks
Susan Tilly	....	thanks
Stefan von Moers	....	thanks
Michael Weber	....	thanks
Hans Wendl	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Egoli Tossell Film
• Medienfonds GFP (co-production)
• Studio Babelsberg (co-production)
• Bavaria Film (co-production)
• Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen (support)
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (support)
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) (support)
• BKM, kulturelle Filmförderung des Bundes (support)
• Deutsche Columbia TriStar Filmproduktion

Distributors

• Timebandits Films (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Bavaria Film International (2006) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Mongrel Media (2006) (Canada) (DVD)

Other Companies

• A. Huber & Co  insurance
• Airports Authority of Jamaica  thanks
• Auralux Recordings  thanks
• BMG Music  thanks
• Besetzer, Die  casting: Cologne
• Blood and Fire  thanks
• Bluebird Café, The  thanks
• Brehm & von Moers  legal services
• Chrysalis Entertainment  thanks
• CinePostproduction  post-production facilities
• Cinegate  technical equipment (as Cinegate Köln GmbH)
• Filmkontor Service  production accounting
• Fuji Kine Film Vertriebsges  film stock
• GeeJam Studios  thanks
• Greensleeves Records  thanks (as Greensleeves)
• House of Extras  extras casting: Cologne
• Jamaica Constabulary Force  police assistance
• Jamaica Constabulary Force  thanks
• Jamaican Film commission  thanks
• Kortwich  sound equipment
• Litho Studio  music recorded at
• Medias Reiseservice  car rental: Cologne (as Medias)
• Most Wanted Film  location management: Cologne
• Music Sales Corporation  thanks
• Panalpina Welttransport  shipping agency (as Panalpina)
• Party-Fullservice  catering: Cologne
• Patsy Lyn Caterers  catering
• Professional Travel Service  travel agency
• Soundsbetter  sound equipment
• St. Anne's Post  sound editorial
• Studio Babelsberg  dubbing
• Taxit Geschaftsführungs  production accounting
• Toneheads  sound equipment
• Universal Music  thanks
• Warner / Chappell Music  thanks
• Warner Music  thanks (as Warner UK)
• tvt. postproduction  digital remastering
• tvt. postproduction  title design

Also Known As:

Almost Heaven - Ein Cowgirl auf Jamaika (Germany) (TV title)
Lively Up Yourself (Germany) (working title)

Runtime:

102 min | Canada:95 min (DVD version)

Country:

Germany

Language:

German | English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Canada:14A | Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Cologne, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany

Company:

Egoli Tossell Film

Movie Connections:

References Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Soundtrack:

Everyday Good

A good antidote for ennui.

How many times have we seen movies about someone whose dreams are frustrated, fighting for the chance to realize those dreams? Often. And often, too, an element of urgency is added by making this person one who is terminally ill.

In this version of that theme, a German woman has no wish but to sing in Nashville once before she dies. She is diverted to Jamaica and forced by circumstances to stay there long enough to notice that there is more happening right here and now than either her dream or her death. Her antagonist and co-protagonist is a Jamaican woman who is struggling with her own circumstances in a less than effective way.

The setting is colourful and provocative. The performances of the main characters and the struggles they face are convincing and affecting.

A couple of minor plot elements are indicated enough to be understood but not developed fully enough to be completely effective--no doubt the details can be found on a cutting room floor. The only addition I would have wished for would be a slight filling out of the characters' pasts, to increase the impact of their current circumstances. However, this is a minor criticism of a generally excellent film.

In total, an engaging, entertaining, and uplifting film; a good antidote for ennui.