bailoukova Reviews

Piranhas (2019)

no extraordinary movie but worth watching

[5/10 · 16 September 2019]

Even though the acting was really good, the movie did not establish any emotional ties towards the characters on screen. Instead of concentrating on the evolvement of the characters, the film focuses more on the plot. Considering that I found the storyline rather predictable and pressed into a typical screenwriting-scheme, it did not catch me nor it surprised me.

The movie was shot quite close. Most of the time you see a range of close shots and close-ups which I found quite restricting in the beginning but I got used to it after a while and by the end of the movie I appreciated the artistic aspect of this choice of filming.

For me personally this movie does not dig deep enough beyond the surface to be more than average and to leave a lasting memory in my mind. But it definitely has some good moments, so if you get the chance to watch it, do so.

Wackersdorf (2018)

a glimmer of hope - but not a cheesy one

[8/10 · 10 October 2018]

Wackersdorf is the best movie I've seen in German cinema for ages.

First of all I would like to begin with the storyline which I think was really worth filming. It's based on true events, when in the 1980s the bavarian government plans to build a nuclear reprocessing plant in the little community of Schwandorf, more precisely Wackersdorf. The movie is narrated from the view of county commissioner Hans Schuierer who at first is enthusiastic about the reprocessing plant since it seems to be the solution for the high unemployment rate. When the free state of Bavaria gets violent without any legal basis against a protest of a citizens' action group who engage in nature protection, he starts to doubt whether the plant is actually as harmless as alleged by the Strauß-government.

In my opinion, movies that are based on true events often do not leave space for the unfolding and growth of the characters. The characters will only be briefly sketched or the story will be modified for the benefit of narration. With this movie it was different. The protagonist was portrayed sensitively and his actions were traceable. Also this movie did not dramatize things unnecessarily just to raise tension for the plot.

Furthermore the cast/acting and the cinematography was great. I loved the atmosphere of the tiny bavarian town, the pictures were kept cold and clear and were aesthetic. Finally a german movie which does not try to be american. Since the protest actions actually stopped the building of the reprocessing plant in Wackersdorf this movie is a glimmer of hope - not only for german cinema!