Aaaaaach, der neue Film vom Anatomie-2-Verbrecher und Freitagsrunden-Stargast. Allein dadurch hat der Film einen sehr schweren Stand, Herrschaften.

B


The Counterfeiters will remain one of the least memorable Best Foreign Picture winners in recent years. In fact, I saw every single Best Foreign Picture winner since nowhere in Africa and this certainly was the worst. Not that it was bad, but there's just almost nothing about it that makes it in any way a lasting experience or an outstandng work.

The only outstanding aspect of this otherwise fairly average and generic Holocaust feature is the brilliant acting by Karl Markovics' excellent leading performance of a morally quite ambigous man who when he comes into extreme circumstances shows his humanity by trying to help others. The movie also throws up some really interesting morally-charged questions, but does so in such a generic and expected way that it all feels a lot like been-there, done-that. The acting ensemble is solid, ut as I said, most of it just pales in comparison to Markovics. Only David Striesows' Nazi supervisor can hold his own here.

There's potential here, but the way the story is told is simply too mundane and unengaging, so that despite good performances and nice ideas behind the whole thing, it comes across as rather uninspired.

The academy seriously needs to overhaul the Foreign Film selection process after this year's mess (4 Months and Persepolis not making the shortlist, Diving Bell not being eligible due to the 1 film per country rule).
On to this film which was just above average. I liked the close feel (lack of mid and long-range shots), but the camera work was dizzying, annoying and predictable after five minutes. The story is somewhat interesting, but isn't told particularly well which results in a lack of full character development. The moral ambiguity of the lead's decisions was well presented, but failed to make an impact on the audience.
The film, on the whole, although a new approach to a WWII/Holocaust film, failed to escape the predictability and cliches of its genre.

C+

If you can somehow manage that, watch 12, snack.

Zusatz: Ein Film mit Stockinger als Radiergummi - das kann kaum funktionieren. Bestenfalls ein C-, eher weniger.

You basically summed up my thoughts on the film. A few really good performances and an interesting story told in very average mediocre way. I was really hoping for and expecting better from an Academy award winning film.

Grade B/B-

Any more people seen this Best Foreign Pic winner?

I clearly wasn't alerted to what genre this movie falls in!

It ain't no typical holocaust movie, nor is it even really a WWII movie - - Die Fälscher falls clearly in the prison movie genre. Yup, it's right up there with Shawhank Redemption, The Great Escape or even Each Dawn I Die...

The key sequence in this film is when lead character Salomon Sorowitsch quietly pulls another prisoner aside and whispers to him, "If you touch me again, I'll cut your throat." and then afterwards explains to another prisoner "He has to respect me, but not lose face. The same as in any jail."

If you can't grasp the significance of the above, then perhaps you're not ready to get the most out of Die Fälscher.

Survival of the fittest - - where fitness is proscribed by being the most consistent, the most skilled, the most altru-ego-tistical...

15 out of 5.

It may not be the Best Foreign Picture winner ever but it's a very solid movie I enjoyed watching. Markovic gives a great performance and the story is well told and interesting.

B

I ever wondered whether there are some filmmakers left in Austria. But apparently they're long gone.

It has a solid story, but it's Salomon's relationships with the other prisoners that make the movie. It's weird to see a Holocaust movie told from this point of view, but it was interesting. I think the moral question of being the martyr versus helping an unjust cause to survive is enough to keep the movie in your mind.

- B+