"Den Tagen mehr Leben!" is a German television film from 2010, so this one has its 10th anniversary this year and as the film aired in early June for the first time, it happened already. As this will probably never be shown on English-language territory, let me translate the title for you: It means "More life to the days", which basically means that the days should be filled with more memorable activities. I initially thought that it is a good title, somewhat meaningful, yet not too full of itself. Well, then I saw the cringeworthy exclamation mark, so I cannot say that the title is the one aspect where they got it right (even if it is very general) either. They got it all wrong. 100%. However, let's start with the basics: The director is Jan Ruzicka and he is a pretty prolific filmmaker, especially in terms of television releases. However, it must also be said that the vast majority of what he created does not have good quality attached to it gently-speaking. The writer is Heidrun Arnold and looking at how horrible the screenplay and story here really are I must say that I am glad she is not a prolific writer at all, at least when it comes to movies, compared to Ruzicka. Like most other small screen releases here in my country, this runs for 1.5 hours, slightly under. And if Ruzicka's body of work is not telling enough for you to know this is gonna suck, then certainly the inclusion of lead actress Thekla Carola Wied should do the trick. She is the only somewhat famous cast member in here (well maybe hardcore German film buffs will also recognize Zapatka) and this is not a good thing because she is the epitome of an actress with zero range who only has a career because of decent recognition value. But no talent, no versatility on her and it certainly does not help she is in almost every scene in this movie. Yes, she is this bad. Literally, every audience member who mistakes this film and her performance for something dealing with a strong and smart woman making her own way needs to get a grip. I cannot say it more friendly that that. This movie is truly an abomination and I am not exaggerating one bit. I will not just say it, but in the next paragraph I will mention individual scenes and twists that really make it painfully obvious how bad it all is. I will not mention them all because I would easily get beyond the character limit. Yes, there are that many examples. Just one addition in terms of the cast. One if the biggest supporting players here is Swedish actor Peter Haber and it is pretty shocking to see how he got from the Millennium trilogy to a movie like this within a short amount of time. Unreal
Okay, now back to this one here and examples why it sucked. The female protagonist and her husband are making a trip to Scandinavia early on and before they start travelling on their own, they are in a bus and she asks him why he did not rent the caravan right from their homes because the other guests are pretty loud and annoying. And she meant it, wanted an answer when she asked that. So they are really telling audiences that they did not discuss this possibility before the trip began. Okay. Very realistic. About as realistic as the husband having enough of her (can you blame him?) and just leaving her there to go on the rest of the journey alone. Yeah, right. They totally had to make sure he is seen by the bad guy by audiences and that she is an innocent angel who cannot fulfill her dreams because he is constantly complaining and nagging. So he is out of the picture for a while. But of course our protagonist is such a desirable lady, even at her age, that a renowned marine biologist is instantly attracted to her, also he is almost ten years younger, well the actor, so probably the character as well. But she is an honest person, so she quickly mentions her husband. And yet he won't let go. Just take a look at their chance encounter early on with the bike accident and both blaming the other. Very realistic as well that he is the really important man who now goes into retirement and has his big celebration not too far away. And of course she ends up at the party too and when she leaves for a moment to breathe and get away from people, she ends up watching whales and boom all of a sudden the biologist is standing right behind her. His words (or word) when he says hi to her in that situation was literally so cringeworthy. But not as cringeworthy as when he starts comparing himself to an old whale who performs a mating ritual on a female. And the worst is they were really erious with that. Sure you can blame the actors, but well they signed for this crap. Nobody forced them to be in this movie.
Okay, there is more. Sadly. Away from the romance, absolutely everything involving Dörte Lyssewski (certainly a more fitting name for this woman than "Engel", which is her character's name) was 100% cringeworthy and difficult to watch. I guess they really wanted to make sure Wied does not look even worse, so they cast an antirely unbearable and untalented actress next to her. It already starts with a negative highlight when the two women are united through fate as they are both sitting on benches next to eacch other and crying and so they comfort each other. Another really cringeworthy (sorry I use that word a lot, but this film really is the epitome of cringe) moment is when Engel rambles on a bit about how Wied's character is such a good and likable person and always was the good soul who helped everybody in her profession and of course she is correct, but Wied's character is stuttering a bit because she is too humble to admit. Man, she is such an angel. Unreal. And finally, a third minor moment that has less to do with the acting than the absurdity of it all is that Engel is also the biologist's doctor obviously. These connections are ridiculous. And she is the one who also tells the main character about the biologist's cancer. Yep. More tragedy and drama here and all also so unauthentic as it gets. They are taking the easy way out, so that the main character does not have to make a decision between the two men. Of course, tragedy ensues. As for the husband (Zapatka), he shows up in the last third of the film again and realizes that he has been so mean to his wife and that he misses her dearly and cannnot live without her, so he finally returns and is changed and eventually cares for his wife again and shows it to her. But not before he cheated with a random other woman before that. I mean they use these scenes with the husband to justify Wied's character's actions. Her name is Anne by the way, finally need to say that. She would not sleep with the marine biologist before her husband sleeps with somebody. She would not talk to or meet the marine biologist again before her husband talks to her in a demeaning way that implies that a divorce may be upcoming. Actually, that did feel realistic, if they pulled through with it. But honestly with the way they talked to each other, there is no way for a harmonic reunion at the end the way it is thrown at us by the filmmakers eventually. Pathetic stuff honestly. So yeah, there is still a lot more that sucked in this movie, but I shall leave it at that. No, one more thing, actually two: The whale scene. Considered an emotional highlight as a real nature phenomenon, but it looks so fake and unimpressive at the end that it is just impossible to take seriously. And yet they wanted us 100% to take it seriously, to see this movie from every perspective as a deep and meaningful character study, have us think "oh what a powerful woman" when she says to her man that she will be driving after he wants to get in at the door to the driver's seat. But the outcome is what happens when there is not 1% of talent compared to 100% ambition. Final words for Esther Zimmering, pretty attractive actress, but her character is really too small to make an impact, so eventually she also serves no purpose other than making sure her dad understands what an amazing character (and mother) Anne is. Okay, that's all. The epitome of an empty shallow movie, also in terms of cinematography and photography it could have been so much better given the llocation where it takes place. But even there it is a failure. No matter which perspective you take, which production value you rate, everything is a failure. A truly disgusting movie. Should never have been made, never released and, most of all, not still be shown a decade after it came out. What the heck?? And one of the production companies here in fact has the word "Kunst" (art) in the title. Let me assure, this is film is the polar opposite of an artistic achievement.
Okay, now back to this one here and examples why it sucked. The female protagonist and her husband are making a trip to Scandinavia early on and before they start travelling on their own, they are in a bus and she asks him why he did not rent the caravan right from their homes because the other guests are pretty loud and annoying. And she meant it, wanted an answer when she asked that. So they are really telling audiences that they did not discuss this possibility before the trip began. Okay. Very realistic. About as realistic as the husband having enough of her (can you blame him?) and just leaving her there to go on the rest of the journey alone. Yeah, right. They totally had to make sure he is seen by the bad guy by audiences and that she is an innocent angel who cannot fulfill her dreams because he is constantly complaining and nagging. So he is out of the picture for a while. But of course our protagonist is such a desirable lady, even at her age, that a renowned marine biologist is instantly attracted to her, also he is almost ten years younger, well the actor, so probably the character as well. But she is an honest person, so she quickly mentions her husband. And yet he won't let go. Just take a look at their chance encounter early on with the bike accident and both blaming the other. Very realistic as well that he is the really important man who now goes into retirement and has his big celebration not too far away. And of course she ends up at the party too and when she leaves for a moment to breathe and get away from people, she ends up watching whales and boom all of a sudden the biologist is standing right behind her. His words (or word) when he says hi to her in that situation was literally so cringeworthy. But not as cringeworthy as when he starts comparing himself to an old whale who performs a mating ritual on a female. And the worst is they were really erious with that. Sure you can blame the actors, but well they signed for this crap. Nobody forced them to be in this movie.
Okay, there is more. Sadly. Away from the romance, absolutely everything involving Dörte Lyssewski (certainly a more fitting name for this woman than "Engel", which is her character's name) was 100% cringeworthy and difficult to watch. I guess they really wanted to make sure Wied does not look even worse, so they cast an antirely unbearable and untalented actress next to her. It already starts with a negative highlight when the two women are united through fate as they are both sitting on benches next to eacch other and crying and so they comfort each other. Another really cringeworthy (sorry I use that word a lot, but this film really is the epitome of cringe) moment is when Engel rambles on a bit about how Wied's character is such a good and likable person and always was the good soul who helped everybody in her profession and of course she is correct, but Wied's character is stuttering a bit because she is too humble to admit. Man, she is such an angel. Unreal. And finally, a third minor moment that has less to do with the acting than the absurdity of it all is that Engel is also the biologist's doctor obviously. These connections are ridiculous. And she is the one who also tells the main character about the biologist's cancer. Yep. More tragedy and drama here and all also so unauthentic as it gets. They are taking the easy way out, so that the main character does not have to make a decision between the two men. Of course, tragedy ensues. As for the husband (Zapatka), he shows up in the last third of the film again and realizes that he has been so mean to his wife and that he misses her dearly and cannnot live without her, so he finally returns and is changed and eventually cares for his wife again and shows it to her. But not before he cheated with a random other woman before that. I mean they use these scenes with the husband to justify Wied's character's actions. Her name is Anne by the way, finally need to say that. She would not sleep with the marine biologist before her husband sleeps with somebody. She would not talk to or meet the marine biologist again before her husband talks to her in a demeaning way that implies that a divorce may be upcoming. Actually, that did feel realistic, if they pulled through with it. But honestly with the way they talked to each other, there is no way for a harmonic reunion at the end the way it is thrown at us by the filmmakers eventually. Pathetic stuff honestly. So yeah, there is still a lot more that sucked in this movie, but I shall leave it at that. No, one more thing, actually two: The whale scene. Considered an emotional highlight as a real nature phenomenon, but it looks so fake and unimpressive at the end that it is just impossible to take seriously. And yet they wanted us 100% to take it seriously, to see this movie from every perspective as a deep and meaningful character study, have us think "oh what a powerful woman" when she says to her man that she will be driving after he wants to get in at the door to the driver's seat. But the outcome is what happens when there is not 1% of talent compared to 100% ambition. Final words for Esther Zimmering, pretty attractive actress, but her character is really too small to make an impact, so eventually she also serves no purpose other than making sure her dad understands what an amazing character (and mother) Anne is. Okay, that's all. The epitome of an empty shallow movie, also in terms of cinematography and photography it could have been so much better given the llocation where it takes place. But even there it is a failure. No matter which perspective you take, which production value you rate, everything is a failure. A truly disgusting movie. Should never have been made, never released and, most of all, not still be shown a decade after it came out. What the heck?? And one of the production companies here in fact has the word "Kunst" (art) in the title. Let me assure, this is film is the polar opposite of an artistic achievement.
