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Portrait of a Married Couple

Original title: Erste Ehe
  • 20022002
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
45
YOUR RATING
Portrait of a Married Couple (2002)
  • Drama
Dorit, 25, and Alex, 30, a freshly married young couple, are celebrating their wedding party. Until dawn, they pass through the stations of their highly emotional and, at the same time, dest... Read allDorit, 25, and Alex, 30, a freshly married young couple, are celebrating their wedding party. Until dawn, they pass through the stations of their highly emotional and, at the same time, destructive relationship of love, leaving their destructive and combative potential free. With... Read allDorit, 25, and Alex, 30, a freshly married young couple, are celebrating their wedding party. Until dawn, they pass through the stations of their highly emotional and, at the same time, destructive relationship of love, leaving their destructive and combative potential free. Without breaks and without compromise, they tear themselves in front of the guests' eyes.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
45
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Isabelle Stever
  • Writer
    • Isabelle Stever
  • Stars
    • Maria Simon
    • Nils Nelleßen
    • Marc Richter
Top credits
  • Director
    • Isabelle Stever
  • Writer
    • Isabelle Stever
  • Stars
    • Maria Simon
    • Nils Nelleßen
    • Marc Richter
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 2User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 1 nomination

    Photos

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    Top cast

    Edit
    Maria Simon
    Maria Simon
    • Dorit
    Nils Nelleßen
    Nils Nelleßen
    • Alex
    • (as Nils Nellessen)
    Marc Richter
    • Heiner
    Martin Reinhardt
    • Thema
    Silvina Buchbauer
    • Sybille
    Andreas Bittl
    • Jochen
    Michael Gabat
    • Marc
    Daniel Krauss
    Daniel Krauss
    • Erich
    Alma Maria Köhler
    • Dame mit Dackel
    Patrick Mosch
    • Sebastian
    Samir Osman
    • Anton
    Georg Ansas Otto
    • Peer
    Miriam Sachs
    • Lisa
    Christian Schidlowski
    • Kai
    Stephanie Scholz
    • Jeanette
    Bärbel Stolz
    • Stefanie
    • (as Bärbel Schleker)
    Elena Uhlig
    Elena Uhlig
    • Babette
    Marina Weis
    • Ingrid van der Brack
    • (as Marina Weis-Burgaslieva)
    • Director
      • Isabelle Stever
    • Writer
      • Isabelle Stever
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    User reviews2

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    At last - a realistic party
    Perhaps parties are different in the USA, but this is the first film I have seen which shows a party the way I remember them from my youth. The participants have moments of fun, and moments of restrained enjoyment, but the main feature of the party is the seriousness of the revellers. Sometimes they are somewhat depressed, sometimes rather despairing, often simply sad or even indifferent to the drama all around. Whilst this party is very realistic, I have to admit that it is more violent and more dramatic than most of the ones I attended. I am also pleased to be able to say that the level of smoking was also higher than in most of them. Both the interaction of the party guests and hosts and the way they sometimes searched for a place for privacy or at least introverted behaviour without leaving the gathering were just as in every party I attended in my younger days. Even the language hit exactly the right note, vulgar but not as overdone as in most films in the more emotional scenes, and restrained casual in the more blasé ones. In a way, the main theme of the story is love, but not romantic love as in 'Pretty Woman', and not the intellectual battles of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe', but simply love as it is in many partnerships in which the first flare of romance has subsided to a certain extent.

    Nils Nelleßen as Alex and Maria Simon as Dorit play very difficult roles extremely well, so that the interest and the credibility of the events is sustained throughout, despite the realistic lethargy of many of the guests. Isabelle Stever managed to write and depict the party with such accuracy and attention to details that one almost has the feeling of being there. If she can continue with this quality, there will soon be many more enjoyable films arriving from Germany.

    This is a well-paced, dramatic and realistic film.
    helpful•1
    0
    • coyets
    • Jan 23, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 10, 2002 (Germany)
    • Country of origin
      • Germany
    • Language
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Erste Ehe
    • Filming locations
      • Germany
    • Production company
      • Filmkombinat
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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