Awful. Terrible. Horrible. Sucked Badly. Avoid Like The Plague. - Der Wald vor lauter Bäumen (2005) Discussion

[–] Hatton_Mann 17 years ago

Really?
I've watched this movie twice. I enjoyed it on both occasions.
The story is plausible. The characters are good.
What were you expecting from this type of film?

"Yes Mr. Milton."

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[–] raindog517 17 years ago

I agree w/ u hattomann! Very realistic plot and believable characters...I could almost sympathize w/ Melanie even though she's a little bit of a nutcase. I really felt her desperation

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[–] Hatton_Mann 17 years ago

It was almost difficult to watch in some cases. There are a few uncomfortable moments that are very real. I guess she was looking for acceptance although she did have a strange way of going about it.

"Yes Mr. Milton."

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[–] ecrisisny 17 years ago

I just got through watching this movie. For only 80 minutes, it took me nearly 4 hours to watch. However, this isn't because I thought it was a bad film by any means, quite the opposite actually. It was just sooooo awkward and cringeworthy. I found myself having to pause and take a breather every time she'd try to talk to Tina.

I didn't think a film could top The King of Comedy or Chuck & Buck in terms of sheer awkwardness but this is definitely the new winner in that category.

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[–] wildmatz 17 years ago

Without doubt, it isn't an easy film to watch. But I don't really get it that some people don't like it because they hate the main character. This means there's an awful lot of movies these people must hate...! This film can make you laugh, but it can also make you cry and it definitely makes you think about how idealistic people destroy themselves and get destroyed by others.
Sometimes I just wanted to yell at the main character "No, don't do that...", but she did it anyway. Of course this film exaggerates a lot, but aren't there a lot of people around who can't make friends anymore. And aren't there parents who doubt everything a teacher says about their little angles and always blame the teacher?
Apart from all that I quite enjoyed the movie because it was shot in my hometown and I also worked at the school they used as a setting some years ago.

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[–] Hatton_Mann 16 years ago

I agree, it is a hard movie to watch as far as wanting to cringe and tell the main character (I forget her name) Melanie?, to stop, back off, the fact that it was shot on tape gives it a very real almost too real. The first time i watched it, I got thru about 10 minutes, the setup, and I was about to stop it, but there was something that kept me interested, I just wanted to see what she was going to do next, she seemed so human and nice. The ending is very symbolic, that's what I took away from it. I think that a good movie is a movie that will play back in your mind and this one does.

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[–] mrura 15 years ago

if you like to cringe, try these:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154420/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386342/

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[–] arochom-2 17 years ago

I actually enjoyed the movie. It does hurt to watch, but not all movies are meant to be "digestible." It's a haunting movie, especially to people who have experienced moving to a strange place and not being accepted for who you are.

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[–] duncanidaho123 16 years ago

i also liked this movie much, because it is so shocking realistic and as i pointed out in another threat, everybody knows a melanie in his life...

and it's a blessed difference to the same-old-story-movies from hollywood, whose average audience surely would say somethink like "this movie will hurt your eyeballs" ;-)

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[–] upnkttu 16 years ago

Yes, I do a Melanie. I didn't think of that until I read your post. Very hard to watc. Not one of my faves but it will play back in my mind for awhile. I just couldn't figure out why it was filmworthy or videoworthy. Not sure it had much to say. I don't think it says anything about society. She is definetly on the fringe of society. not the norm. Tina was the norm, and Tina was very nice and accomadating for a lot longer than others or I would have been.

"Sit down Waldo!"

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[–] Hatton_Mann 16 years ago

I think there's a little Melanie in us all, trying to appease everyone and in the end we ruin what could have been lasting relationships. The all or nothing mentality, she distances herself at work by over doing it, she becomes jealous and over bearing with her girl friend. Deep down we have a very nice person, just someone who is grasping for direction.

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[–] rollogirl 13 years ago

Although the acting is okay. I completely agree. Watch something else.

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[–] bleak 13 years ago

The fact that this movie was shot on video, with flat lighting and virtually no sound effects or music, made it ugly and almost unwatchable. It could have been a good film with that script, but the cinematography and truly poor editing wasted it completely. Kind of a pity. The ending also contributed to the fact that it had no focus or substance.

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[–] timlin-4 13 years ago

Sound effects and music? Not every subject can be pretty. This film was made perfectly.

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[–] noveltylibrary 12 years ago

agreed, i really liked it. not understanding the hatred for the woman...it wasn't like she was evil.

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[–] ElectricKoolaidAcid 12 years ago

I agree, we all have a little "Melanie" inside ourselves. If you don't, well then you're just plain not human... or you're a sociopath... THAT is someone who never cares about others' feelings, doesn't ever get lonely, nor tries to seek some sort of approval in the real world- whether it be from coworkers or even neighbors. I can probably count on one hand only the number of girls and women I had as "friends" in life that DIDN'T turn out to be "Tinas." Quite sad, how realistic this film was.

Look at how happy you are, so carefree. It's almost as if you don't know you're Billy Bush!-Triumph

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