"Tierisch verliebt" is a German television film from 2009, so this one is already over a decade old. The director is Ariane Zeller and that is already a fairly safe indicator that this is not going to be a good film because almost everything else she did (and maybe you can even cut the "almost") is not good quality. Looking at the fact that there are two writers here, you could at least hope that they managed to make sure to find each other's flaws, but the opposite is the case: The brought out the worst in each other it seems. Good news is that Cormann never wrote another film afterwards, but Hertel seems still active today and director Zeller is as well, which is shocking enough. Then again, if these horrible 1.5 hours here are still shown on national television more than ten years later after its original release, then all hope is gone probably. As for the cast, there are familiar faces there too and probably also unfamiliar faces that are prolific nonetheless. First credits is Valerie Niehaus and I think she is kinda attractive, but not a particularly good actress. I also think Gregor Törzs should be first credit. I think his character is more in the center of the story than Niehaus' and he also has more screen time. He is the one who comes to the new village and we follow him there what happens to him and also his daughter. But I will get to that later. First the cast. Marie Gruber is also in many of these terrible movies, but her role here is very small. Felt a bit cringeworthy also how she indirectly sided with the good guys towards the end. The daughter is played by Géraldine Raths and she is also not bad-looking, actually she managed to keep her career rolling, which many child actors from similar films did not. Then again, it is debatable if (with her age) she can still be called a child actress here. Ben Unterkofler, her love interest here, is not in films anymore, which is good because he is not good. Finally, Rüdiger Vogler. I have seen him in many other of these trashy ARD (or its smaller channels) productions, but it still baffles me how a former lead actor from Wim Wenders can have a career that goes so far down that these films are what he has to rely on nowadays. Pretty sad.
No I shall mention a few scenes and moments and twists that show us how this is a horrible film. We can start with Niehaus' character right away. Her running from the wedding early on and the idea that she has done so twice already is really cringeworthy. That running scene with her in the wedding dress was so embarrassing, not just the idea, but also the idea that it happened twice and Niehaus' overacting too. They really want to make clear how stunning and desirable Niehaus' character is. Her quote later on is another example when she says how her second husband (or almost husband) was one every girl wanted back then, but she got him and yet she realized he is not the one for her. She is too good for most men. Really arrogant character. How can they even imply we see her as likable. Also the idea how she left her newest partner, also her fiancé, right on time to make out with Törzs' character is an abomination. Also said third partner comes back to her and begs for forgiveness, for her to stay with him. Man, she is such an amazing woman. The daughter got an even worse story. So many unrealistic and unauthentic moments. Just take the moment when daddy leaves her alone on the ship. Enough nonsense already that he does so, but also that none of the other people on the ship tell her to pay attention when he is waving at her. Or is it "to"? I am not entirely sure. You get what I mean anyway. Or the story with her classmate. Of course she jumps his bike when they meet. Of course they sit next to each other at school. Of course she does what she does during the test. Of course the teacher did not see it 100%. Of course the boy is mad about it. Holy moly, so much nonsense. And of course she also gets her pseudo dramatic running away story. They include these so many times in these films. Of course she is safe. Oh that poor girl. We must be so glad nothing happened. If we hadn't known right away anyway. As for Törzs, I cannot say too much. His character's connection with death, similar to Niehaus', is more pseudo drama and emotion. The two writers have no talent to come up with an actually touching story, so it felt as if all they did rang false and for the sake of it. The best example is the story with the old woman's dog and how said canine gets the surgery, even if she does not have the money to pay it. or Gruber's reaction about the vet stretching the rules for a good cause. We shall not forget what a likable fella he is. I think I've said enough. Just one final thing: The idea with the horses about to die because of the illness is also pseudo drama of the worst kind. I love animals (also like horses), but this was just ridiculously poor, also how the fiancé is a part of it. He puts profit over moral and thus is not the right one for Niehaus' character. It all feels so fake honestly. A bit unusual to see Vogler as a real antagonist for once, normally he is among the more likable guys in these films. But yeah, once again this is also a sexist film, very anti-male and this is also often the case for these films, especially Degeto productions. If you compare the amount of likable male characters here to the amount of likable female characters (or supposedly likable), then you will see a mentionable difference in number. This also shows that the film is like the vast majority of others mostly directed at female audiences and this gets away with it and apparently, enough females still watch it nowadays to be shown again ten years after when it came out back then. Okay, now really enough. Oh wait, of course outr two lovebirds are united in the end and everything else gets a happy ending too. Obviously. Can I say anything postive here? Maybe that Törzs was not as horrible as I thought he would be. He was just mediocre, certainly not good either. This film gets a massive thumbs-down from me. Highly not recommended! It is as bad, no even worse than the title suggests. And how they used animals/horses to get more people (maybe animals lovers) to watch this film is just absolutely despicable because they simply delivered no quality whatsoever. All bait. Zero substance. Also in terms of the music. And there the film even hit a new level of "suckage" with how they do not only give us exaggarated instrumental music, but even shove loud numbers with singers into our faces to create even more fake emotion. Alright, enough now, now I am really done. Stay far, far away from this one.
No I shall mention a few scenes and moments and twists that show us how this is a horrible film. We can start with Niehaus' character right away. Her running from the wedding early on and the idea that she has done so twice already is really cringeworthy. That running scene with her in the wedding dress was so embarrassing, not just the idea, but also the idea that it happened twice and Niehaus' overacting too. They really want to make clear how stunning and desirable Niehaus' character is. Her quote later on is another example when she says how her second husband (or almost husband) was one every girl wanted back then, but she got him and yet she realized he is not the one for her. She is too good for most men. Really arrogant character. How can they even imply we see her as likable. Also the idea how she left her newest partner, also her fiancé, right on time to make out with Törzs' character is an abomination. Also said third partner comes back to her and begs for forgiveness, for her to stay with him. Man, she is such an amazing woman. The daughter got an even worse story. So many unrealistic and unauthentic moments. Just take the moment when daddy leaves her alone on the ship. Enough nonsense already that he does so, but also that none of the other people on the ship tell her to pay attention when he is waving at her. Or is it "to"? I am not entirely sure. You get what I mean anyway. Or the story with her classmate. Of course she jumps his bike when they meet. Of course they sit next to each other at school. Of course she does what she does during the test. Of course the teacher did not see it 100%. Of course the boy is mad about it. Holy moly, so much nonsense. And of course she also gets her pseudo dramatic running away story. They include these so many times in these films. Of course she is safe. Oh that poor girl. We must be so glad nothing happened. If we hadn't known right away anyway. As for Törzs, I cannot say too much. His character's connection with death, similar to Niehaus', is more pseudo drama and emotion. The two writers have no talent to come up with an actually touching story, so it felt as if all they did rang false and for the sake of it. The best example is the story with the old woman's dog and how said canine gets the surgery, even if she does not have the money to pay it. or Gruber's reaction about the vet stretching the rules for a good cause. We shall not forget what a likable fella he is. I think I've said enough. Just one final thing: The idea with the horses about to die because of the illness is also pseudo drama of the worst kind. I love animals (also like horses), but this was just ridiculously poor, also how the fiancé is a part of it. He puts profit over moral and thus is not the right one for Niehaus' character. It all feels so fake honestly. A bit unusual to see Vogler as a real antagonist for once, normally he is among the more likable guys in these films. But yeah, once again this is also a sexist film, very anti-male and this is also often the case for these films, especially Degeto productions. If you compare the amount of likable male characters here to the amount of likable female characters (or supposedly likable), then you will see a mentionable difference in number. This also shows that the film is like the vast majority of others mostly directed at female audiences and this gets away with it and apparently, enough females still watch it nowadays to be shown again ten years after when it came out back then. Okay, now really enough. Oh wait, of course outr two lovebirds are united in the end and everything else gets a happy ending too. Obviously. Can I say anything postive here? Maybe that Törzs was not as horrible as I thought he would be. He was just mediocre, certainly not good either. This film gets a massive thumbs-down from me. Highly not recommended! It is as bad, no even worse than the title suggests. And how they used animals/horses to get more people (maybe animals lovers) to watch this film is just absolutely despicable because they simply delivered no quality whatsoever. All bait. Zero substance. Also in terms of the music. And there the film even hit a new level of "suckage" with how they do not only give us exaggarated instrumental music, but even shove loud numbers with singers into our faces to create even more fake emotion. Alright, enough now, now I am really done. Stay far, far away from this one.