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DVD Bandits
Four tough women in a German penitentiary join forces to form a rock band. When administrators take them to perform at a policeman's ball, the prisoners escape, kidnapping a convenient boy-toy hostage (Werner Schreyer), along the way. Their band, Bandits, becomes a national sensation as the women continue to evade the police. The movie is a wild ride, with quite a respectable score of rock songs--some catchy, some haunting--composed and performed by Bandits members themselves. All are sung in English (which seems to be the universal language of rock & roll). But although the picture is a lot of fun, it's no Spice World; there's a harder edge, a deeper agenda here. These women were all prisoners for a reason. Each fugitive's story is gradually revealed as the plot progresses. Luna (sultry Jasmin Tabatabai), the lead singer and guitarist, is a loose canon with a real attitude problem. And she likes to rob banks. Emma (Katja Riemann), the brains of the group, had a successful jazz career in America before her abusive boyfriend drove her over the edge. Marie (Jutta Hoffmann), the band's middle-aged keyboard player, is suicidal: something to do with her involvement in her husband's death. Angel (lovely Nicolette Krebitz), is the team's weak link; she can't be trusted. As the Bandits pull off each increasingly improbable narrow escape, the film takes on the radiance of myth, ascending ultimately to an apocalyptic finale. --Laura Mirsky
So I bought this album at the local video store, for the simple fact that it looked like it would be good. It was, in fact, right up my alley, a "bandit" movie, somewhat of a buddy roadtrip flick, and a defying society film. Reminded me of something like "Thelma & Louise' when I read the back.
However, once I got home and put in the DVD I realized that this was an all german movie. At first I was disappointed but watched anyways, as I usually don't mind subtitled movies. Well this movie blew me away. You really get attached to these ladies and want to know what drives them and made them the way they are. The music as well in this film is great. In the special features on the DVD there are two music videos or "Catch Me" and 'Puppet". They are VERY representative of the movie and damn good songs.
I would recommend this movie to anyone. It was definitely a great find!
Absolutely a MUST SEE!
I am amazed that I found this movie and am able to purchase it here in the states. I had seen this movie while i was studying in germany and as soon as it ended i realized i had no idea what the title was or who was in it. but i knew i had to find it somehow. im not going to summarize the movie here, but its simply fantastic if you love movies which leave you captivated throughout and speachless at the end. Definately a must see film!!!
"Abandoned men are dangerous."
"Bandits" is a German film with English subtitles (and it's not to be confused with the Bruce Willis film). A prison reformer decides to entertain a convention of lawmakers with a band composed solely of female prison inmates. The idea is that convicts should be reintegrated into society "using their natural talents." Four inmates have formed a loosely knit band--called The Bandits--mainly due to their enjoyment of music, but the band members don't particular like each other or get along. On the way to the convention, the women escape. Once on the run, they achieve legendary outlaw status by robbing and playing free concerts for the masses. Determined police detectives are hot on the trial, and as the women elude the police, the band's popularity and fame grows. Soon everyone is buying the band's CD and listening to their music.
The four band members are all different types. Luna is the very tough, aggressive guitarist and singer. Angel is much softer. Marie has a death wish, and Emma is in jail for killing someone. As the film develops, each band member's past is revealed, and these revelations create tight bonds within the group.
The best part of this film has to be the music (although the lyrics are sung in English). Unfortunately, the whole "free concerts" thing is also more than a bit exaggerated. Ok, these girls can take over a stage full of equipment, and they may be able to steal instruments, but some of the rooftop concerts (for example) push the limits of credibility. The notion of the growth of their popularity as they careen across Germany is well done, and I enjoyed the intriguing and irony-laded results of their fame. The police hunt for the band (for being escaped convicts), but fans also hunt them. As a result, the band becomes so famous that their notoriety makes their escape problematic, and the fact that the Bandits crave and encourage attention from their fans doesn't make it easier. The film is nicely paced and well acted, and the creative ending endorses the idea that ultimately the band's message is of social protest rather than a shot at fame. Sadly, however, the characters cannot rise above cliches, and the film does not achieve complete originality--displacedhuman
It's summertime in Hamburg, and while it's a time for most people to go away on holiday, Daniel (Moritz Bleibtreu), a serious young teacher, is stuck at home. A bohemian young woman named Juli (Christiane Paul) has her sights set on Daniel, but Daniel spoils Juli's plans by meeting Melek, a traveling Turkish woman (Idil Uner). When Melek leaves for Budapest the next day, Daniel impulsively decides to follow her, and he bumps into Juli as she hitchhikes out of town. Juli makes a habit of taking a hitchhiking holiday every summer, and her destination is always left to chance--she goes wherever the passing cars take her.
"In July" is basically an on-the-road romance. The viewer knows that Juli is attracted to Daniel, but Daniel is blissfully unaware of this. He's so determined... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Moritz Bleibtreu - Christiane Paul Director(s): Fatih Akin DVD Release Date: Released the 08 June 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Contemporary comedies rarely stretch themselves beyond a bickering romantic couple or a bickering couple and a bucket of bodily fluids, which makes the ambition and intelligence of Good bye, Lenin! not simply entertaining but downright refreshing. The movie starts in East Germany before the fall of communism; our hero, Alex (Daniel Bruhl), describes how his mother (Katrin Sass), a true believer in the communist cause, has a heart attack when she sees him being clubbed by police at a protest. She falls into a coma for eight months--during which the Berlin Wall comes down. When she awakens, her fragile health must avoid any shocks, so Alex creates an illusive reality around his bedridden mother to convince her that communism is still alive. Good bye, Lenin! delicately balances... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Wolfgang Becker (II) DVD Release Date: Released the 10 August 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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It's difficult to create a film that's fast paced, exciting, and aesthetically appealing without diluting its dialogue. Run Lola Run, directed and written by Tom Tykwer, is an enchanting balance of pace and narrative, creating a universal parable that leaps over cultural barriers. This is the story of young Lola (Franka Potente) and her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). In the space of 20 minutes, they must come up with 100,000 deutsche marks to pay back a seedy gangster, who will be less than forgiving when he finds out that Manni incompetently lost his cash to an opportunistic vagrant. Lola, confronted with one obstacle after another, rides an emotional roller coaster in her high-speed efforts to help the hapless Manni--attempting to extract the cash first from her... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Franka Potente - Moritz Bleibtreu Director(s): Tom Tykwer DVD Release Date: Released the 30 October 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The German thriller Anatomy is a Grand Guignol display of medical horror, dwelling on dissected flesh and body organs in jars. Paula (Franka Potente, the star of Run Lola Run) is a smart young medical student with a lot of family history: her grandfather is a celebrated surgeon and her father runs a low-income medical clinic. An award-winning essay gets her into a prestigious university, known for a strict but brilliant professor of anatomy. On the train to school, Paula saves the life of a punk rocker with a heart problem--only to find this same young man on her dissecting table a few weeks later in anatomy class. Her investigations into this coincidence lead her to discover an underground society of doctors who pursue medical research at all costs, and who sometimes give... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Franka Potente - Benno Fürmann - Anna Loos Director(s): Stefan Ruzowitzky DVD Release Date: Released the 03 April 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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As a German Studies student, I am constantly looking for new films to watch to practice language. It is particularly nice when the film is a good one. This film does not take itself too seriously, but it does have a heart, and parts are laugh-out-loud funny. The female lead in this movie is a cutie-pie, and the supporting cast is fantastic. You will appreciate this movie more if you understand German, but even if you don't, there are plenty of good sight gags. I am glad some recent German filmmakers have learned that movies don't all have to be grim and existential. Film can entertain as well. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Alexander Scheer - Götz George - Chulpan Khamatova Director(s): Lars Kraume DVD Release Date: Released the 19 February 2002 Usually ships within 24 hours
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