This riveting German drama set in a women's prison has the strong foundation of a solid script and psychologically resonant performances across the board.
This riveting German drama set in a women's prison has the strong foundation of a solid script and psychologically resonant performances across the board.
An embittered, 80-year-old piano teacher working in a women's prison takes on the most challenging student in her enduring career in director Chris Kraus' low-key musical drama. For years, Miss Krueger (Monica Bleibtreu) has been teaching classical piano to some of the most hardened female prisoners in all of Germany, but upon meeting brooding new inmate Jenny (Hannah Herzsprung), Miss Krueger finally seems to have found the one student she can't break through to -- until she hears Jenny play,
that is. A former piano prodigy whose abusive childhood prompted her to neglect her natural gift for music in the name of survival, Jenny is a violent offender whose notorious temper has, as an adult, repeatedly landed her behind bars. Though she does still display considerable talent on the ivory, her decidedly antisocial behavior compelled the troubled prisoner to repeatedly sabotage opportunities to take part in recitals that would, at the very least, provide a momentary respite from her grim day-to-day existence. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A women-behind-bars plot seething with lesbianism, incest, hanging and catfights -- on paper, at least, Four Minutes promises more fun than a Roger Corman marathon.
Although the tone of the film drifts precariously toward the self-serious, writer/director Chris Kraus redeems himself with snatches of dark jailhouse humor and a quiet attentiveness to minute gradations of human feeling.
Through the despair and stormy interactions of the two main characters, we scrape beneath their crusty exterior surfaces and get a glimpse at the hurt and hopefulness within.
The next German film sensation after The Lives of OthersTouchingThe story of how a piano teacher has her life changed and changes the life of her student through music. An amazing story, touching, very deep, and emotional turn out great, one of the best german movies ive seen so far. The acting is amazing, the lead
actresses incorporate strong characters with strong personality that emits and touches the audience strongly. The directing is fantastic. However there are some scenes and things behind the movie that are very symbolic and therefore hard to understand, but nevertheless its a very touching movie. Jenny Von Loben : Sorry
A little slow at times, but all in all a really good movie. The girl the movie is based around is really psychotic, but amazingly talented. I feel so sorry for her in the way that her life turned out. This movie had a really awesome ending. I felt like standing up and cheering for her myself
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