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Showing posts with label Hannah Herzsprung. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hannah Herzsprung. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Who Am I (2014) Germany

The age of digital gang war.






Original title:
Who Am I: Kein System Ist Sicher (German)


Genre:
Crime, Drama, Thriller.


Length:
Approximately 7-minute read.


Review:
     A German cyber-thriller from the director of 'The Silence'. The second half of the title 'Kein Systen ist Sicher' means 'No System is Safe' in English. So far, lots of films were made on this theme, but nothing was quite delightful as this one. Mainly because of the young cast and the depiction of the contemporary cyber world. With its incredible pace and the exciting storyline, in addition to that, some unexpected twists and turns, the film would easily surpass anybody's anticipation.

     It hits the right chord at the right time to bring some of the wonderful scenes. But as usual like any thriller films, the third act was its strength where it peaked that caused to flip its narration to the different facet. There are positives and negatives in the hacking business, but what I witnessed in this was some kind of digital gang war which directly affected the law-enforcement agency. A virtually conflict between two gangs for their superiority over the cyber's underworld. That means don't imagine like an online game between two, but beyond that.

     Usually the hackers are the sidekicks for the film's main characters. That's how most of the films depicted them and we know it. But there are some films that highlighted them on the first priority base, yet no film convinced me their genuine acts, both, virtually as well as physically to achieve their goals as in this one. I meant this film was not all about programming, cracking passwords, stealing data, releasing viruses, definitely not about a computer geek,

     But yes, it was something like that whose world changes after encountering a small gang like him. They're all experts in different fields and together unstoppable, who later form a team nicknamed CLAY to make friend with the world's number one hacker MRX. After under-appreciated and humiliation, the CLAY dares their icon and urge to take his place, but the plan terribly fails. That's how the story takes a grand venture that brings the secret police into frame to expand its plot to a more interesting conclusion.

 When the life gives you lemons,
ask for salt and tequila. 

     The balance between all its contents were awesome. Not the whole time they sit in front of the computer and do the stuffs, but there many real outside world adventures. Because there's a belief among us that everything can be done playing with the computer keyboard which proved wrong here. Besides, there was a small slice of romance, and the magic trick which briefly illustrates the film's important phase that holds the key to understand the happenings. The overall narration was a flashback that opens in a police station where our main hero of the story was investigated. He himself compares with the superheroes and the hacking ability is his superpower.

     Its not only the racy pace, but the energetic performances by the young actors was also the reason for the film's uplift. From the technical aspect, it was superbly written, directed and edited film. In some way, the film also resembles 'Fight Club' and 'The Usual Suspects'. Looks like the lead character was a big fan of those films and that's how it got influenced. I would have said many things about this film comparing with those two, but I'm trying to avoid the spoiler and it is possible only if I never brought this topic into here. But anyway, this film was one of the hardest nuts to crack what's coming next.

     Talking about the twist, it feels like the same old tricks from some of the old Hollywood blockbusters. But you should be patience till the film to end, because that part matters a lot. Probably that's where anyone who watched it will decide how much they liked it. The film generated its own trademark with the black hood and the white mask which already got a cult status among its fans. The  rock music was awesomely matched with this theme.

     There is a Hollywood version is coming, but I'm hoping for not to mess it up like the majority of remakes does. In the mean time, I'll look forward to an announcement of a possible sequel, because films like this should end in a trilogy. Especially in the todays film business, trilogies are the greatest achievements that followed by the original film's success. If you had loved this film and after seeing the way it ended you won't say no to that. This film is not for IT techies alone, but anyone would enjoy it. Surely I recommend it for who're interested in crime, thriller.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
Disconnected, Eagle Eye, Hackers, WarGames, Swordfish, The Net, Firewall, Untraceable.


External link(s):
    


WCA geolocation:
Right now we're in

Thursday, September 26, 2013

4 Minutes (2006) Germany

Hands are very important to a musician and it is not safe in prison


Drama | Music

Original title:
Vier Minuten (German)


Tagline:
"The next German film sensation after 'The Lives of Others'."


Review:
'Four minutes' is a 2006 German movie about a young woman prisoner Jenny and her old piano teacher Kruger. While the music class part by part the past stories of these women reveal to us. The flashback reveals that this prison used to be a hospital where the old piano teacher worked and her affair with another nurse. And another flashback about Jenny and her difficulty earlier life she went through. As a talented, Jenny is also the rough and tough with her inmates. Like all the prison story here too there be a trouble giving enemy and a tough warden who always eye on her. Their's target is Jenny, to stop her from taking lessons and entering the competition.

Jenny was a musical prodigy and her initial portions of the story were portrayed as she's sorta some rebellion. There were many scenes I just don't get it like the security provided for Jenny during she was taken for the contest on the outside. And I don't know why the story had some racism remarks on Afro-european music in a couple of scenes and it never explained anywhere later. I guess those days are like that especially in Nazi Germany.

Still I felt both the two main characters were not explained well especially Jenny's past were mostly told as a story than what we are expected to see as the actual one. In Kruger case it was different it showed the main portions of her flashbacks to match it with preset of her. The last four minutes of the movie are what represents the title before the credit rolls up. That was a grand finale for a movie with a story line this. The end scene was kinda good like the movies 'Sound of Noise' and 'August Rush'.


Similar movies:
Harmony, Birdman of Alcatraz, The Visitor, Brokedown Palace


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

4 Minutes (2006) on IMDb


  • Tween: From age between 7 to 12
  • Teen: From age between 13 to 19
  • Adult: From age above 20
  • Ignore: Not worth watching
  • Bad: Not good but watchable
  • Average: 50-50, choice is always yours
  • Good: great certainly not masterpiece
  • Excellent: A must see, Masterpiece