"Das Mädchen Rosemarie" or "A Girl Called Rosemary" or "The Girl Rosemarie" is a German movie from 1996, so this one had its 20th anniversary last year. It is one of the rare occasions where prolific German producer Bernd Eichinger was not only the writer, but even the director of a film. The cast includes as always with Eichinger many many big names, such as Heiner Lauterbach, Til Schweiger, Katja Flint, Mathieu Carrière, Hanns Zischler or Hannelore Elsner. Eichinger films are really more like events I must say that great creative achievements and this one here is definitely not an exception. The title character is played by a certain Nina Hoss, who was around the age of 20 when this was made and it was her big breakthrough film. I personally think, however, that almost everything she made later in her career is most likely superior to this one we have here. It is about the German prostitute Rosemarie Nitribitt who not only really existed , but had video tapes of very influential German men from business, politic etc. being her customers. We are talking career-breaking stuff here. So it is no surprise than she died under dubious circumstances in her mid-20s and this case never got solved in terms of who finally pulled the trigger on her.
But back to this film: It is a small screen production, but that's not a problem if the quality had been better here. The cast sure offers the possibility of a really convincing movie even if Hoss certainly wasn't at her best yet and the cast includes also actors who are more known for their charisma than for their range. Still, the story is good enough to be turned into something special. The opposite is the case. It feels like a movie that is as pompous as empty during its massive over two hours runtime during which it drags quite a bit. What a disappointment. It is very much obvious how they were trying to make waves with this film, but they came oh so short. I very much prefer the much older version of the Nitribitt life and tragedy starring Nadja Tiller as the main character and Mario Adorf plays a character in there too. Thinking about it, he would have fit in here as well and I say that with the greatest respect for Mr. Adorf as he could have been somebody who may have elevated the material here. The way it turned out instead eventually this film was as bland as it was forgettable. Visually, it isn't bad and basically full of gold. A golden wrapping with empty contents seems a fitting description. None of it is real sadly. Not a great character study or a great study of the German society of the 1950s. I suggest you watch something else instead.
But back to this film: It is a small screen production, but that's not a problem if the quality had been better here. The cast sure offers the possibility of a really convincing movie even if Hoss certainly wasn't at her best yet and the cast includes also actors who are more known for their charisma than for their range. Still, the story is good enough to be turned into something special. The opposite is the case. It feels like a movie that is as pompous as empty during its massive over two hours runtime during which it drags quite a bit. What a disappointment. It is very much obvious how they were trying to make waves with this film, but they came oh so short. I very much prefer the much older version of the Nitribitt life and tragedy starring Nadja Tiller as the main character and Mario Adorf plays a character in there too. Thinking about it, he would have fit in here as well and I say that with the greatest respect for Mr. Adorf as he could have been somebody who may have elevated the material here. The way it turned out instead eventually this film was as bland as it was forgettable. Visually, it isn't bad and basically full of gold. A golden wrapping with empty contents seems a fitting description. None of it is real sadly. Not a great character study or a great study of the German society of the 1950s. I suggest you watch something else instead.