This brilliant made-for-TV movie is a big positive surprise given the relatively low standards of the regular German made-for-TV fare. It treats the delicate theme of sibling incest with great subtlety and sympathy. The development of the relationship between brother and sister is totally plausible and beautifully portrayed by the young actors Alexandra Schalaudek and Florian Heiden. The viewer soon comes to sympathize with them and with their illicit feelings for each other as he watches their mutual attraction building up towards the (inevitable) breaking of the taboo. This scene, like the entire movie, is very beautifully and very tastefully shot. I watched it on DVD and I really could not believe just how good this little movie with all its budgetary and other restraints was. If you are not offended by that kind of topic watch it! I gave it a 10 out of 10.
5 Reviews
Dysfunctional family and forbidden teen love
sandrasguy17 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is a German movie, dubbed in Japanese (my copy). My German is much stronger than my Japanese, so my understanding may be a bit off. This appears to be a tale of a brother and sister spending a summer together, and accidentally falling in love. They fight the urges, but it just becomes way too powerful. There are obstacles in their path. The brother has a male friend with latent feelings for him. There are a couple of girls in the village interested in the brother and when it appears that he prefers his sister-the tongues start wagging. Add in that the father is always listening for the shower upstairs. When he hears it cut off, he runs upstairs and bursts in the girl's room (more than once) trying to get a peek at his very blossoming daughter. When he busts in one time too many, to find the two siblings in the act, everything unravels. The actors who play brother and sister are very appealing and have a wonderful chemistry. This movie is well acted and directed. Although it is about a family, this is not a family movie. If you are into wonderful cinema, this is a movie for you.
Fantastic movie about a taboo relationship
toadtje9 August 2014
I was lucky enough to catch this gem of a movie on Norwegian television some time back, which probably made it much easier for me as it was subbed in my language, as opposed to many others who have watched this in various dubbed versions.
Anyway, this German movie in short revolves around a brother and a sister who rarely gets to see each other, except for one summer when they spend all their time together out of sheer boredom. During this time, their sibling love starts to grow deeper, and before you know it, they are boyfriend/girlfriend. After a while, of course, they break the ultimate taboo about sibling incest, but the whole theme is handled so delicately and so beautifully that you come to understand and sympathize with the siblings in their actions.
I think the movie tries to explore how a relationship like this can develop and mature, and in that they really succeed. Considering the budget of this made-for-TV movie, its amazing what they have been able to do with it.
The story is rock solid, the actors are very good and portray their characters with ease (especially the siblings who do such a wonderful job), and in the end its well worth your time to watch. Anyone who likes a movie that actually have a deeper meaning and a solid story should check this movie out. You will not be disappointed.
Top notch and world class. 10/10.
Anyway, this German movie in short revolves around a brother and a sister who rarely gets to see each other, except for one summer when they spend all their time together out of sheer boredom. During this time, their sibling love starts to grow deeper, and before you know it, they are boyfriend/girlfriend. After a while, of course, they break the ultimate taboo about sibling incest, but the whole theme is handled so delicately and so beautifully that you come to understand and sympathize with the siblings in their actions.
I think the movie tries to explore how a relationship like this can develop and mature, and in that they really succeed. Considering the budget of this made-for-TV movie, its amazing what they have been able to do with it.
The story is rock solid, the actors are very good and portray their characters with ease (especially the siblings who do such a wonderful job), and in the end its well worth your time to watch. Anyone who likes a movie that actually have a deeper meaning and a solid story should check this movie out. You will not be disappointed.
Top notch and world class. 10/10.
Occasional flaws, but as a whole a very engaging and emotional watch
Horst_In_Translation10 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Der Kuß meiner Schwester" or "Kissing My Sister" is a German television movie from 2000, so this one is already over 15 years old. The director is Israeli-born German filmmaker Dror Zahavi and this film is based on a novel by Jana Frey. You maybe already guessed from the title of this 90-minute film that the focus here is on a (forbidden) love story between brother and sister. And the good thing is that it works very well for the most part. There are occasional flaws like how the stepmom first suggests how the two may have something going on or the kiss at the school and the comment that they are safe there (where they could not be less safe anywhere else) or the story-line about the photo footage of a thief or Christian Wunderlich's character having a tumor. This is maybe where the movie gets a bit too melodramatic for its own good and it was really not necessary as Wunderlich otherwise delivers a good performance and his character also works pretty nicely. Surprisingly nicely as I never thought he was a great actor and I guess they just wanted to make as many little girls cry as possibly back then because Wunderlich was considered a major heart throb.
Zahavi cast several actors that he also worked together with already during his time as a director on the daily soap Verbotene Liebe. Lead actress Alexandra Schalaudek is another example and no matter how hard I try, there is really nothing negative I can say about her portrayal here. She is really good and considerably better than her male co-lead Florian Heiden and this is not because he would be any bad or something. But Schalaudek makes every moment feel authentic and it makes me a bit sad she never really lived up to her potential that we see in this movie. It's a brave bold and very convincing performance that does not need to hide behind any big screen performance from the year 2000. It was really easy feeling and caring for her and her desperate pursuit of happiness and as a consequence I really wanted the two to end up together. Sadly, this may have been too bold of an approach here eventually, but even the way it turned out it is a great statement in terms of how love between siblings should not be a taboo in our society and it is their choice alone what they do. I will not go into detail about the two possibly becoming mother and father as this is another very different and much more complicated story, but honestly I think if they really love each other as the film was trying to tell us, then they should not have accepted their dad breaking them up, even if he did so in the most compassionate manner. The latter is played by August Zirner by the way and he is probably the most known cast member as of today. Another tremendous performance in this movie and he is on par with his film daughter. I highly recommend seeing this movie. Very much recommended. Very touching, adequate and sensitive approach to a truly difficult subject.
Zahavi cast several actors that he also worked together with already during his time as a director on the daily soap Verbotene Liebe. Lead actress Alexandra Schalaudek is another example and no matter how hard I try, there is really nothing negative I can say about her portrayal here. She is really good and considerably better than her male co-lead Florian Heiden and this is not because he would be any bad or something. But Schalaudek makes every moment feel authentic and it makes me a bit sad she never really lived up to her potential that we see in this movie. It's a brave bold and very convincing performance that does not need to hide behind any big screen performance from the year 2000. It was really easy feeling and caring for her and her desperate pursuit of happiness and as a consequence I really wanted the two to end up together. Sadly, this may have been too bold of an approach here eventually, but even the way it turned out it is a great statement in terms of how love between siblings should not be a taboo in our society and it is their choice alone what they do. I will not go into detail about the two possibly becoming mother and father as this is another very different and much more complicated story, but honestly I think if they really love each other as the film was trying to tell us, then they should not have accepted their dad breaking them up, even if he did so in the most compassionate manner. The latter is played by August Zirner by the way and he is probably the most known cast member as of today. Another tremendous performance in this movie and he is on par with his film daughter. I highly recommend seeing this movie. Very much recommended. Very touching, adequate and sensitive approach to a truly difficult subject.
Great Movie.
adrianbodemer7 August 2001
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