When I first saw Deadly Maria at the Berlin & Beyond film festival in early 1996 here in San Francisco I was blown away.
It's full of style, like nothing I've ever seen, and uses techniques that punctuate the content more successfully than in probably any other film I've ever seen. Tykwer's later films, Wintersleepers and Run Lola Run are equally brilliant, but I prefer Deadly Maria on most levels.
As far as the content itself, it would most appeal to anyone who knows the pain of living life as someone other than who they truly want to be. It's dark and intensely honest.
What else can I say? This film touched my soul. The catharsis of seeing it shook me to my roots. Tom Tykwer is a genius, in my opinion.
See this film.
