Rossini (1997) User Reviews (5)

Big names, big flaws

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 8 March 2016]

"Rossini" is a German 110-minute film from almost 20 years ago written and directed by the recently deceased filmmaker Helmut Dietl. I wish I could write a more positive review here in his memory, but I have to say I am baffled by this film's success with awards bodies, especially at the German Film Awards, where it also won Best Picture, but did not get chosen as Germany's Oscar submission for the foreign language category. Those got it right and the IMDb rating also seems very accurate. I guess the reason of its success back then is simply the accumulation of big names in the cast here. I will not list them, but you can check out the list here ion IMDb to find proof of that. Even today this would be an outstanding list of actors for a film. None of them particularly impressed me, even if Mario Adorf was fun to watch as usual as the title character who is far from being the protagonist in here. And still, he was kinda wasted with the way his character was written. Style over substance really.

Same can be said about pretty much all the other actors. I know it was not the director's intention obviously to make them look likable with all the sleaze, envy and greed they show us, but they weren't particularly fascinating to watch I have to say. And that was not really the actors' fault or at least not as much as it was flawed in the way they were written. I felt especially sorry for the female actresses as their characters were all really one-dimensional and offered nothing in terms of self-confident modern women. So yeah, being a huge fan of Dietl's "Schtonkh!", mostly because of George I was genuinely disappointed with this film here that he made 5 years later. I do not recommend checking it out. The perfect example of too many cooks spoiling the brother. Thumbs down.

A satire on the German film scene.

[ruthleitner · 10/10 · 25 May 2005]

This film entertains with witty dialogues and persuading intrigue. In typical German fashion, comedy is coupled with depth as well as sadness which creates an atmosphere of realism while being light and energizing. The acting is excellent, not surprisingly, as the cast consists of a great number of famous and skilled German actors including Veronica Ferres, Götz George and Mario Adorf. Careful, you may not be satisfied with your typical blockbuster movie after this. There is nothing wanting in the cinematography or soundtrack either, but all elements of this movie combine to create a convincing comedy that left me hoping for more of the same. In short, a must see or rent for all who love satires or simply want to see a really good movie.

The murderous question who slept with whom

[pefrss · 10/10 · 2 December 2006]

I found this delightful DVD by chance. Sexy, witty and at the same time a hilarious comedy, Rossini - or the murderous question who slept with whom, takes us in a fashionable Italian restaurant in Munich, Germany. Every night this restaurant is the meeting point for the rich and beautiful of this city. Businesses are negotiated, contracts signed, love affairs started or ended, egos pampered, remedies for lack of potency exchanged and careers initiated or finished. There are many subplots but all more or less are connected to the fact that a producer and a director are trying to get the funding and the rights to make a movie of the book by a famous novelist, who is very publicity shy. The book is about the legendary German legend Lorelei, a beautiful young girl, who sat on a rock at the river Rhine at a particularly dangerous bend and lured ships in their demise with her singing. Very much like the sirens in Greek mythology.

They do a lot of casting calls but cannot find the right person. When she finally appears at the Rossini restaurant by accident, she creates a lot of uproar and confusion. In this movie everybody nearly sleeps with everybody and it depicts very much the life of the people in the film industry and the fringe industries. But all this sleeping around proves to be fatal for one person at the end, despite the fact that everybody always pretends that it is okay. The cast is comprised by top German actors and due to the fact that the restaurant is the main film location, the film has nearly a theatrical feeling. I highly recommend the film, if you have a chance to get your hands on it. You will be amused and perfectly entertained.

fantastic comedy with great actors

[stealth-6 · 8/10 · 27 November 1998]

The famous German director Helmut Dietl - and with him most of the best actors Germany has to offer - have created one of the best German movies ever! The sarcastic and ironic story takes place at the restaurant "Rossini" where everybody who is or wants to be anybody in the film industry dines. Everything is very dramatic and funny and it's worth watching really!

The gorgeous Veronica Ferres is Magic!

[cLoNe · 10/10 · 14 August 1999]

A great movie! At the beginning I was confused by the amount of sub-plots, but I got into the movie in no time. The cast is wonderful and colorful with a big variations of characters.

All the sub-plots are tied together eventually and we get an interesting puzzle of characters and incidents. Some incident are very funny, others are very sad.

Veronica Ferres, the German mega star, is mysterious and sexy in this movie. While she doesn't get much screen time in the first half of the movie, her character is definitely the most interesting (and good looking, of course).

All in all it's a refreshing movie to watch if you're used to the usual Hollywood stuff. Nothing wrong with trying foreign culture once in a while!