The Ground Beneath My Feet (2019) User Reviews

Even the world of high finance gets personal

[Red-125 · 8/10 · 15 October 2019]

The German film Der Boden unter den Füssen was shown in the U.S. with the translated title The Ground Beneath My Feet (2019). The movie was written and directed by Marie Kreutzer.

Valerie Pachner plays Lola Wegenstein, a successful businesswoman. Her boss is Elise, portrayed by Mavie Hörbiger. Elise is also Lola's lover.

Pia Hierzegger plays Conny Wegenstein, Lola's sister, who has schizophrenia. Matters reach a crisis when Lola is at the final stages of an important business deal, and Conny makes what may have been a suicide attempt.

The world of high finance is unknown to me. Others will have to tell you how well it's portrayed in the movie. It looks horrible. For example, in her sleep, Lola is talking about "48's." We learn that this means going two days without sleep to work on business.

Although this film contains lesbian lovers, it's really not a lesbian film. In my opinion, it's about a high-level business executive and her sister who suffers from mental illness. The fact that Lola is in a lesbian relationship is important, but not central, to the plot.

All three lead actors are excellent, but I'll single out Pia Hierzegger, as Lola's sister, for special praise. It's a difficult, demanding role, and Hierzegger manages it to perfection.

We saw this film at The Little Theatre, as part of Rochester's wonderful ImageOut Festival. If you can't find it at a festival, it will work on the small screen.

This movie has a terrible IMDb rating of 6.3. I think that it's much better than that, and I feel comfortable recommending it.

Shifting Sands...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 2 February 2022]

A sister's mental health causes an overworked workaholic consultant her own psychological issues as she juggles both in a tale that teaches the lesson there are more important things in life to get distressed about.

multifaceted character

[chrislawuk · 7/10 · 26 December 2020]

Valerie Pachner was great in this movie, and I recognised her instantly from her other movie by Terrence Mallick of the same year, "A Hidden Life". Theres an intense lesbian relationship in the movie, but I didnt feel it was central to the plot - like you do with so many other movies that feature homosexual relationships. Alot of people should relate to this movie, anyone who has strived to do something against difficult personal circumstances.

in the abyss

[Kirpianuscus · 22 June 2020]

A precise film about meaning of life. About work and the steps of profesional succes. About family and the option about priorities. About rivalries, life, falls and fragil balance. And, sure, about abyss, long chain of insecurity and fears anddesire of control, and ignored other. A well crafte story, beautiful performances and direct message.

Interesting but lacks focus

[basilisksamuk · 7/10 · 18 November 2021]

If you like female nudity, lesbian sex scenes and high heels then this film is for you. If you want a clear narrative and satisfying ending then perhaps not. Early on I suspected I was watching a Hitchcock influenced tale and the set up suggested there was a mystery to be solved. I was wrong. Overall I enjoyed this film, thought it was well shot in a Michael Haneke sort of way and the acting was compelling. I just felt the narrative lacked focus (is it a thriller, is it a lesbian love story, is it a critique of corporate life, is it a comment on mental health issues?) and the ending felt somewhat flat.

A weak copy of "Toni Erdman"

[m-roozgar · 6/10 · 11 February 2019]

The film was trying to criticize the stressful worklife in Germany, same theme as Toni Erdman" movie. I have it 7, because the film is still watchable.

A lesbian tale disguised as a workaholic drama

[barevfilm · 6/10 · 10 April 2019]

The Ground beneath my Feet, Viewed at Berlinaje, 2019 (Der Boden unter den Füßen) 1h 48 min. Austria, Competition, directed by Marie Kreutzer (fourth feature) and starring slim, austerely sexy, Valerie Pachner is a lesbian tale disguised as a workaholic drama that grinds the viewer down into submission, little by little. It would have been better placed in the LGT Teddy section although it is as strong overall as many other competition entries. If you've wondered how lesbians get it on one of the bedroom scenes demonstrates that the Missionary Position is at least one favored technique. The two lovers, both slim blondes, look so much alike I couldn't quite tell who was on top but it was definitely a hot scene that ended in a screaming orgasm for the supine member that looked totally authentic and not the least bit faked (as it were). Of course there is lots more to this movie than the all female sex but, like it or not, it is the relationship between these two women, one an ambitious workaholic supporting a suicidal sister, the other a cold hearted manipulative boss, that drives the intent of the story. One does not get the feeling that there is any tender affection between the two beautiful lovers, just plain sex and manipulation value. It looks as though director Kreutzer wanted the sexual aspect to be just one of those things woven into a tale with more issues at stake, but I personally found the other issues (obsessive devotion to job and insanity in the family with an extremely strained sister relationship) not only secondary but pretty repetitions and ultimately boring. The picture only came to life with the first languorous kiss between the two women and the subsequent in bed scenes. An Austrian professional sitting next to me was of the opinion that the film is highly personal and reflects issues in the directors own life. The cinematography with facial closeups prevailing was very crisp and the acting of all principles very intense. In other words a not very gripping story very well done. The press screening audience gave it a solid round of applause. I was personally relieved when it was over.

Not the best, but not the worst.

[tildiz149 · 6/10 · 24 January 2023]

Usually I don´t watch German speaking movies, which can be considered a bit strange. Why? Because I´ve studied German at school, been traveling in Germany and Austrias capital Vienna and overall enjoy the German language.

But I don´t think that one of the problems in "The Ground Beneath My Feet" is the language. No, not at all! As I see it this movie has other problems.

Some events were quite predictable or confusing. I couldn´t understand what Lola actually works with. What is her title at the company? I didn´t feel a very strong genuine love bond between Lola and Elise. Maybe that wasn´t a huge surprise because Elise is Lolas boss.

I could nevertheless watch the entire movie. But no, I wouldn´t buy this movie or recommend it to everyone I know.

A meticulously wrought thriller with the additional ballast of an emotionally edifying drama.

[Weirdling_Wolf · 9/10 · 18 November 2021]

Gifted Austrian Writer/director Marie Kreutzer's coolly austere, immaculately shot 'The Ground Beneath my Feet' aka 'Der Boden unter den Füssen' is a starkly realised, earnestly acted, psychologically dense drama about single-minded, high-flying young business executive Lola Wegenstein (Valarie Pachner), and her older, mentally ill sister Conny (Pia Hierziger), long estranged from one another, Conny's attempted overdose of medication somewhat cruelly reunites them both, and the focused, work-orientated Lola soon becomes profoundly unsettled by her disturbed sibling's continued frantic, inchoate ranting, and as Conny is being treated in a psychiatric unit far from Lola's place of work, the once implacable Lola experiences increasing pressures balancing a demanding, high-pressure job, a passionate relationship with the strikingly beautiful Elise (Mavie Hörbiger), her boss, and weighty concerns for Conny's welfare begins to compound Lola's ever more precarious grip on reality. Director Kreutzer's handsome-looking, richly fascinating film has all the immersive intrigue of a meticulously wrought thriller with the additional ballast of an emotionally edifying drama, the performances are uniformly excellent, with especially forceful work from powerhouse Valarie Pachner, the refined photography is sublime, the frequently muted, glacial colour palate adding an oppressively grim verisimilitude to Lola's unhappy descent in her own rapidly debilitating depression, wherein work, love, and familial bonds start to deleteriously unravel into cognitive chaos. While 'The Ground Beneath my Feet' has an aesthetically cool veneer, it is far a from remote experience, being a nuanced, emotionally intelligent drama that deals explicitly with the devastating effects of mental illness in a bold, and wholly sympathetic manner.

It's just terrible

[julhynha-33975 · 1/10 · 29 April 2020]

Don't waste your time on it, basically it's just a drama about a workaholic lesbian. The movie is too slow, nothing happens. Save yourself 2 hours of your life.

Great Austrian drama

[guisreis · 8/10 · 8 June 2022]

Excellent Austrian drama film on schizophrenie, depression, burnout, family issues, capitalism, sexism. A workaholic and anxious top-level white collar specialized in reorganizing companies and selecting people to fire deals with her stressful work goals and routine while needs to split her attention in order also to guard her older sister who had a suicide attempt and suffers from serious psychiatric disease. Besides well acted and well directed, the movie impresses for its quite good script, which I will no detail in order not to give spoilers. It shows very carefully the way the main character sees everything that deviates her from her career as a burden, including her sister and her own health.

Excellent commentary on a society where Human needs are not a priority

[clifee57 · 9/10 · 16 June 2022]

I enjoyed very much, though it really needed to be an hour longer to flesh out the interesting charachters besides the protagonist. Wonderful " involving " cinematography. Lola (Pachner) is superbly portrayed & there's many pointers to her motivations. The ending encapsulates what i see as the central theme, as doctor says to Lola a dramatic something is a good reason for ending up in hospital.....as if there's a "bad" reason!

Brilliant Psychological Study

[paulbpage · 8/10 · 14 May 2022]

This is a gripping, tough movie about the bond between two sisters, focused on the the younger of the two, a hard working business consultant, and how the reality around her erodes as her older sister is treated for mental illness. Valerie Pachner's performance is restrained and subtle. The cinematography is superb, bringing your the cold surfaces of chrome-blue hallways and white institutional walls that contrast with the turmoil that grows within the main character's increasingly tortured psyche. A beautiful, rich film.

Brilliant

[pauliewalnuts-49356 · 10/10 · 12 July 2022]

First off the acting by Valerie pachner is the best I've seen in a long time...this film is mesmerising and close to perfection.

You can literally see the fall from grace,it's so painful to watch but gripping.

A must see film.

Liked it a lot

[kein_Kenner · 8/10 · 4 December 2022]

This is a story about a talented, ambitious, and highly defended young woman struggling with her humanity and struggling with whether to let others breach her walls. As those walls begin to crumble, so does she.

Let's dispense with the absurd notion that this is a "lesbian" film. Sure, Lola is in a same-sex relationship. But that no more makes this a lesbian film than her being in a business consulting job makes it a business consulting film. There's no indication whether she identifies as lesbian, or bi, or whatever. It doesn't matter. This is a film about being a human being.

I was pleased to see that Valerie Pachner won the German best actress award for this film. She was terrific.

As a viewer, I was left with the same uncertainty about what was really going on that Lola experienced. This diminished only a little on the second watching. I thought that was kind of cool.

Disclaimer: my opinions are backed up by zero expertise in Film as an art form, and far less than the average layperson's knowledge of movies in general.