Click to read the article
Agnes and His Brothers (2006)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:19
Fresh:8
Rotten:11
Average Rating:5.1/10
Theatrical Release:Jun 9, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: In AGNES AND HIS BROTHERS, German director Oskar Roehler fashions an unconventional family drama about three brothers--a sex-addicted librarian (Moritz Bleibtreu, RUN LOLA RUN), a seemingly... In AGNES AND HIS BROTHERS, German director Oskar Roehler fashions an unconventional family drama about three brothers--a sex-addicted librarian (Moritz Bleibtreu, RUN LOLA RUN), a seemingly successful politician (Herbert Knaup), and a male-to-female transsexual (Martin Weiss)--coming to terms with their overbearing father and his impact on their lives and relationships. [More]
Starring: Martin Weiss, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Katja Riemann
Starring: Martin Weiss, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Katja Riemann, Tom Schilling, Susan Anbeh
Director: Oskar Roehler
Director: Oskar Roehler
Producer: Stefan Arndt
Studio: First Run Features
Get This Movie
Reviews for Agnes and His Brothers
Where Roehler spends the most time, it seems, is with Werner, whose story evolves from satiric parody to compelling family drama -- there are few scenes more satisfying than when he takes a chainsaw to his son's marijuana crop.
While the script has the occasional hiccough, the impeccable performances of the three actors actually make us care for these dysfunctional brothers.
Painfully literal/ironic soundtrack choices add to the general unpleasantness, and the nods to Fassbinder's great In a Year of 13 Moons only emphasize what this scattershot satire most decidedly is not.
Just as the characters are underthought, the storylines are incongruently pieced together.
Whenever he takes the time to line up his toxic arrows, usually with the help of a compellingly squirmy Bleibtreu, he hits the bull's-eye.
some of the best acting to come out of Germany since before the Nazis took over.
The film's outrageousness would be more palatable if leavened with more wit, or if the characterizations possessed more nuances.
There's fierce energy and -- thanks to the performances -- affecting emotion in the movie that almost makes you forget that Rainer Werner Fassbinder told a similar story much better 28 years ago with In a Year with 13 Moons.
Effectively mixes humor with melodrama to deliver an absorbing look at 3 brothers with enormous emotional problems.
In shuttling between drama and farce, more than a few balls get dropped.
Writer-director Oskar Roehler spends all his energy on cataloging ''outrageous' behavior, and none on giving the transgressions any meaning.
[The film] isn't especially engaging, despite a quietly charismatic performance by Weiss, a relative newcomer who holds his own against far more experienced actors.
It's a slick, ambitious movie that doesn't always nail all the many moods and themes it's after. But the actors give it force and depth.
It says something about Roehler's vision for Agnes And His Brothers that he didn't think much about the movie's centerpiece character, beyond the simplistic irony of having the family transsexual be the most normal.
The feverish libidos wreaking emotional havoc in Oskar Roehler's infantile sex comedy are a quintessentially Germanic mixture of kinky, obsessive and sentimental.
About halfway through, however, the story takes on more than it can handle, turning contrived and unbelievable in the process.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Agnes and His Brothers at Rotten Tomatoes
- Agnes and His Brothers at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.

Richard Corliss previews the season's best offerings and hottest tickets.

The AV Club's Mike D'Angelo airs his beefs with Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic



