Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Forest for the Trees

Play trailer Poster for The Forest for the Trees 2003 1h 21m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
79% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Melanie (Eva Löbau), an idealistic and naive young woman, leaves her country home and lover to take a teaching job in a German city. Socially inept and sorely lacking in disciplinary skills, she is ill-equipped to deal with her unruly students and dismissive colleagues. She tries to make friends with a neighbor (Daniela Holtz), but the neighbor is clearly uninterested. The pressure at work and the loneliness at home soon become too much for Melanie to bear.

Where to Watch

The Forest for the Trees

Critics Reviews

View More
Michael Wilmington Chicago Tribune 07/06/2006
3/4
An affecting, very intelligent work, done with an eye for realism and a heart for the lonely, insulted and injured. Go to Full Review Time Out 06/24/2006
Eva Lbau's lynchpin performance as Melanie is a shattering lesson in the tropes of timidity and awkwardness, and serves in taking this cinema of cruelty into as yet uncharted territory. Go to Full Review Jamie Woolley BBC.com 02/14/2006
4/5
For a first film, it's accomplished; for a college project, it's astonishing. Go to Full Review Savina Petkova A Good Movie To Watch 11/24/2023
76/100
Even with her debut, Ade showcased a talent for spotting the hidden comic potential of situations that can be wounding, turning vulnerabilities into power through comedy. Go to Full Review Lindsay Pugh Woman in Revolt 10/24/2018
Maren Ade's HFF thesis is proof that a powerful, worthwhile film can be made on zero budget when the director and actors are talented enough. Go to Full Review Robert Denerstein Denver Rocky Mountain News 12/15/2006
B
Forest has the look of a film that might have been made by a first-timer with visions of Sundance in her head. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
The Forest for the Trees

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Maren Ade

Director

Eva Löbau

Melanie Pröschle

Daniela Holtz

Tina Schaffner

Jan Neumann

Thorsten Rehm

Ilona Schulz

Frau Sussmann

Robert Schupp

Tobias

More Like This

View All
Dog Days 49% 69% Dog Days Watchlist Sequins 83% 79% Sequins Watchlist Head Over Heels 90% 87% Head Over Heels Watchlist Rosetta 90% % Rosetta Watchlist Take My Eyes 91% 85% Take My Eyes Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

The Forest for the Trees

The Forest for the Trees (2003) A Scene from THE FOREST FOR THE TREES directed by Maren Ade. A Scene from THE FOREST FOR THE TREES directed by Maren Ade. A Scene from THE FOREST FOR THE TREES directed by Maren Ade. A Scene from THE FOREST FOR THE TREES directed by Maren Ade. The Forest for the Trees (2003) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Melanie (Eva Löbau), an idealistic and naive young woman, leaves her country home and lover to take a teaching job in a German city. Socially inept and sorely lacking in disciplinary skills, she is ill-equipped to deal with her unruly students and dismissive colleagues. She tries to make friends with a neighbor (Daniela Holtz), but the neighbor is clearly uninterested. The pressure at work and the loneliness at home soon become too much for Melanie to bear.
Director
Maren Ade
Producer
Janine Jackowski
Screenwriter
Maren Ade
Production Co
KaufmannWöbke GbR, Südwestdeutscher Rundfunk (SWR), Komplizen Film GbR
Genre
Drama
Original Language
German
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 12, 2017
Runtime
1h 21m