Horst_In_Translation Review of Für Elise

Für Elise (2012)

Strong performance by Bauer makes up for occasional weaknesses

[6/10 · 5 July 2017]

"Für Elise" is a German 90-minute movie from 2012, so this one has its 5th anniversary this year. It was written by Erzsébet Rácz and it is her most known work to date. Same goes for director Wolfgang Dinslage, even if this does not really mean anything because it is the only full feature film effort of his career. The cast includes a couple actors that you may have come across if you like German films. This especially applies to rising German actresses because here we have Saskia Rosendahl, Maria Ehrich and also Jasna Frotzi Bauer, who plays the title character and fittingly the male central character's name is Ludwig. I assume you know that "For/Für Elise" is a famous work by composer Ludwig van Beethoven for the women dearest to him. But this is a modern film of course, one that takes place nowadays and Elise is actually a good respectable girl She does well at school and somehow manage to cope impressively with her mother's alcoholism and promiscuously unhappy relationships with men. Ludwig is one of these men and there is more focus on him than on the other men because of his relationship with Elise. I myself enjoyed the watch. There is some talent in Bauer for sure and the other actors were decent too I guess. Yes there is an occasional weakness I guess, but it is okay. Nothing too heave or negatively deal-breaking. One example may be the ending, which may be a bit forced and unrealistically happy I guess. This is especially a problem as the movie keeps going for bleak realism from start to finish. Oh well, at least you leave the theater with a smile on your lips I guess. As a whole, it is certainly among the better German movies I recently watched and with all the mediocrity, weak films and downright garbage, this is a bit of a refreshing character study of a teenager coming of age. i give it a thumbs-up. Worth seeing.