MGFF MOVIE REVIEW: BANKLADY



 * * * * *

It's sixties in Western Germany. Thirty-something Gisela Werler is working in the wallpaper company during the day and looking after her sick invalid father at night. She has a boyfriend but is reluctant to marry him. She is waiting for a chance to get away, to be loved and truly alive. When her boyfriend forgets his suitcase at her place he triggers a chain of events. Step after step Gisela is turning into someone else. She is becoming a first ever, German female bank robber. They nicknamed her BANKLADY.

Actor Nadeshda Brennicke, who uncovered the real story of Gisela Werler and was successful in her quest to turn the idea into a movie, gives a reserved, but intuitively believable performance of Gisela, a woman in love, for whom the passion becomes a source of powerful determination. At the same time Gisela is not a heartless bitch, and never really understands the consequences of her actions.

Hermann Wittorff (Charly Hubner) is larger than life, a little goofy character full of grounded charisma. The chemistry between him and Gisela is undeniable. True friends in real life Nadeshda and Charly are natural on screen and as their characters' romance grows becoming something real and even touching.
The tight script with cheeky dialogue and some real tension, is full of twists and turns, with most of them being true to the real life story. Director Christian Alvart, whose Hollywood titles include thrillers CASE 39 with Rene Zellweger and PANDORUM with Dennis Quaid, has perfected the construction of compact, stylish and buzzy scenes, using split screen at times - a style which takes you straight into sixties.

Part of the success of the movie is recreating the atmosphere of the time. The shooting team travelled all around Germany, looking for the right architecture and managed to uncover some real gems. Although the budget allowed for only a few CGI shots,the cinematography and acting can make you believe you have travelled in time.


For it's topic BANCLADY is unexpectedly uplifting. The premise may suggest it, but this is not a German version of Bonny and Clyde, also the comparison is inevitable. This is always a nice surprise when the characters you love do something that makes you proud. With its sober look at the relationship between the leads and never faulting to ignore the true nature of their crimes the movie delivers a simple message: true love won't fade with time.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We'll End Up Together - Nous Finirons Ensemble (French Movie Review)

Image
10/10 Max has a sixtieth birthday coming up. The problem is he is broke, divorced and depressed. When a group of his best friends show up at his doorstep to help him celebrate, he reluctantly agrees to spend a few days with them, but won’t explain what’s going on in his personal life. When ones darkest moments come, will friendship conquer all? Seven years after the breakout success of the film Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs) comes the long anticipated sequel and it is worth the wait. The success of WE’LL END UP TOGETHER is not in its rather predictable plot, but the chemistry on screen, the characters that we recognise ourselves and our friends in, and the amazing warm atmosphere that makes one believe there’s no problem a good dinner with friends won’t sort out.  Written and directed by much loved French actor and director  Guillaume Canet this movie feels like a welcome return home to those who have seen the original and will also welcome new viewership - the film c
Read more

KOREAN MOVIE REVIEW: MEMOIR OF A MURDERER

Image
8/10 Byung-su is an elderly veterinarian who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He has a caring daughter who does all she can to make his life easier, and a policemen friend whose name Byung-su forgets from time to time. He also goes to a poetry club (in order to keep his mind exercised) where a lonely widow makes advances at him. But there’s one thing that sets Byung-su apart from the other senior citizens of his little town – he is a serial killer.  When a new wave of killings begin Byung-su starts to suspect that a young man who is dating his daughter is the culprit. Trying to keep the remains of his memories together Byung-su writes extensive journals. But what if his memories are actually real? Losing his grip on reality he goes head to head with the new serial killer in order to protect the only life he cares about in the world – his daughter’s. Before Dexter came around Koreans had excelled in creating charismatic killers as protagonists of the films
Read more

MSFF: DEATH IN BUENOS AIRES (MUERTE EN BUENOS AIRES)

Image
3 1/2 /5 It's year 1980 and we are in Buenos Aires. The wealthy gay man is murdered  and inspector Chaves is on the case. In order to find the culprit he has to plunge into the world of gay nightclubs, drugs and sex. But what is it with the young and handsome officer Gomes, who was the first on the crime scene, and seems to place himself with ease as a mole into a gay community? Is he trying to catch the killer? Or hiding something? As suspicions arise, Chaves is haunted by the feelings he does not understand. Will the fatal attraction to a younger man help him to solve the case, or be his undoing? First time director Natalie Meta is "spot on" on the upbeat atmosphere of the 80s without too much expense. She cleverly uses the pop tunes, over-the-top clothes and many other ingredients to recreate the time. The murder mystery is secondary, and the movie is focused on the relationship between the two men, full of innuendoes and mistrust. The very simple cinema
Read more