UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Pluskylang Great Film overall

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

guitarchick4 This film is disturbing because you are not clear what actually happened and what was imagined. If some of the events did occur, then the film is a disturbing commentary about some young people in today's society. This film is not a typical Hollywood style film because the film moves at a slower pace, the plot is not clearly defined and the ending does not resolve the film. But there are some darkly comic moments and there is good acting.Armin Steeb comes from a nice middle class family and lives in a nice middle class neighborhood. Armin is fresh out of college and applying for jobs, but he appears bored and aimless. His parents have high hopes and expectations for him but maybe that is part of his problem?? His parents and society have these expectations of Armin, but maybe he is unsure how to be what is expected of him. Perhaps he does not want the life that his parents or society believes he should want. The usual routine is get into a good college, get a good job, find a life partner, have a family of your own, and the cycle repeats. His older brother has fulfilled the expectations of his parents; therefore, they are worried about Armin's lack of direction. Armin appears to want excitement and notoriety, perhaps this is why he confesses to a crime that he did not commit.Haven't you met people or heard about people who supposedly came from nice middle class families, who went to college but later were a disappointment to their families? In every family, there are the usual success stories but there is always that one in the family who everybody wonders what happened with them? This is why I did like the film in spite of it's weak points because it shows a period in a young person's life that we have all experienced at some point. At some point you have to leave college and your parents home to decide who you are and what you want. Perhaps Armin feels ill prepared to face his life.

gradyharp 'Falscher Bekenner' ('I Am Guilty') is a strange little film that seems to beg our indulgence in looking at and pondering the state of mind of our newly graduated college youths who have had everything provided for them to prepare for life - and are clueless as to how to begin fitting into the world. Writer and director Christoph Hochhäusler appears to have a rather bleak look at this generation - or is it the generation that produced the 'new adults' that he is questioning? Armin Steeb (Constantin von Jascheroff) is a good-looking young fresh college graduate living with his doting parents (Manfred Zapatka and Victoria Trauttmansdorff) who are concerned about Armin's inertia about supporting himself. They assist him in applying for jobs, prepare him for job interviews, and obviously love him and wish for his happiness. Armin is bored: he can barely tolerate the entire family's normalcy, longing for something to light a fire in his life. While walking alone one night he encounters a wrecked automobile containing a dead driver and while he stops to inspect, he soon moves on carrying with him a metal object from the site of the accident. Out of boredom he writes to the police that he is responsible for the accident of what happens to have been the demise of a public official. He takes the found metal object to the police station then leaves without identifying himself.Armin continues fruitless job interviews but also spends time in front of the glow of his computer monitor having fantasies: we see him defiling public roadside restrooms with graffiti, having bizarre physical liaisons with motorcycle men, and hurtful encounters with love interest contenders. Are these real or are they the products of an unfocused mind that wants more to life than the humdrum day job? Eventually Armin is arrested for his confessed 'crime' - or is he? We are left not knowing how much of what has been on the screen is imagined and what is real.Christoph Hochhäusler knows his craft: he creates atmospheres that suggest the burring of a mind in flux, he paces his tale well, and he directs a strong cast fluently. While many may view this experimental film with disgust, that may be one of the goals of Hochhäusler. Perhaps he is holding a mirror to the quality of life we have created in the 21st century for our young people who have been raised in an unstructured environment. In retrospect the ennui created here may be a more pointed existentialist statement than we at first recognize. In German with English subtitles. Grady Harp

bluestorm100 I watched this last night at the Houston International Film Festival, also know as World Fest. I thought it was a bit strange, though I liked it. The German title, literally translated into English means False Confessor, and I find it upsetting that the title was changed for American audiences. The story line seemed flat and I had trouble distinguishing reality from dreams. I speak a tiny bit of German, not very much, but I could tell that the subtitles were a bit off. For example, in English we say things a certain way, and people know what we mean. In German, they say things and everyone knows what they mean, but when translated into English, it confuses us, because their common phrases differ from ours in their word choice. I think that it might have been better if the subtitles were translated literally, with the verbs put in the order of an English sentence, of course. Sometimes they would say one word, and the subtitles read the societal equivalent instead of the actually literal definition, which might have helped improve the story a little. I have to admit though, I found myself very confused during parts. I expected this to be an average foreign film, but it turned out to be an artsy, abstract foreign film. It was a good movie though. I have no problem with abstract movies, except for the fact that I have trouble telling what they really mean. I did actually get something out of this movie though and I could tell what, at least part of it's, underlying meaning was. It's about how dull things are, we leave school, we apply for jobs, they're all the same, everyone does the same thing, and we live out our existence in a dull, tired world of repetition. I could also interpret it as a young person, dulled with life, not wanting to conform to the dull existence that society forces us to fit. It is as if Armin is bored, he's tired of his dull life in the suburbs and is forced to pretend he committed crimes, and eventually more, to fill the void he has, the need for excitement and thrills. Interesting movie. I will say this though, I did see some symbolism in the mask scene.

avanineglect I saw this movie at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival. I did end up being somewhat disappointed because this movie sounded somewhat like last year's "Quiet as a Mouse" (which has yet to be released in the US, or anywhere with subtitles!) but it turned out to be a lot more confusing. It seemed to be very drifting and vague, with no central plot, and the 'startling ending' wasn't so startling at all. As the final scene ended and the credits came up, the audience cried out collectively. No one had expected it to end with such a little whimper, no bang at all.However, the fantasy sequences were entertaining and the acting was great, so I would still give this movie a 6 out of 10, and see it again in hopes to understand it better...