How sad is this?

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

I've watched a fair few German films now as part of my mission to improve my language skills so I feel confident in pointing out one or two commonalities I've noticed among them: No matter what year/decade German films are made, they always feel like they were made in the 90s. Granted, Anatomie was made in 2000 but even more recent German films (and TV shows) always have a 90s feel to them due to various reasons, the most prominent being the typically all-white cast. German films are very 'Disney' in the sense that there seems to be this 'ideal' vision of what Germany looks like or rather, what the German audience looks like but the reality is that times have changed and even Disney is finally updating its thinking. German films need to diversify, stop portraying women as simple stereotypes, and stop promoting smoking in films. I am sick to the back teeth of seeing the main protagonists light up in every single German film I watch. Not just because 'morals' but also because it's distracting. As soon as someone takes that first drag, you know their breath absolutely stinks so if this is happening right before a love scene, it's completely off-putting.Another thing I've noticed is that German films will often have a fascinating premise and will start off strong but will then falter towards the middle, like they don't know how to properly pace a film or write an engaging story from start to finish. I sometimes wish people would send me their scripts for review before selling them to studios! I did feel that the film was very predictable but luckily, Anatomie doesn't try to be a 'true' mystery. The bad guy(s) is revealed fairly early on but there was at least one twist which I didn't figure out until near the end.A special mention for Benno Fürmann; a powerful actor who simply terrifies in every scene. He also worked with Franka Potente in the superb Der Krieger und die Kaiserin (2000) where he put those tremendous eyes of his to good use too.After the opening and an initial genuinely gruesome and terrifying scene, the horror of which Hostel (2005) later replicated, Anatomie loses momentum and meanders down an irrelevant path instead of focusing on the daily duties of the students at the medical school. That was a huge missed opportunity and like so many other German films I've watched, it felt like a case of 'the audience is invested now, we can switch to auto-pilot'.I only watched this a few hours ago and already, I can't remember the ending. There was another ending during the credits so maybe that's interfering. No, I've got it: it was an extremely predictable, although fitting ending.If you have time to kill, this is definitely worth a watch. It will however, be almost instantly forgotten.6/10

Medical student Paula Henning wins a place at an exclusive Heidelberg medical school. When the body of a young man she met on the train turns up on her dissection table, she begins to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death, and uncovers a gruesome conspiracy perpetrated by an Antihippocratic secret society operating within the school. Haven't we heard THAT one before?It's not an especially good film. It's clearly directed for the youth, but all of it is so predictable the suspense is non existent. I was rather bored for most of it.Also there are really dumb scenes.....For example Paula thinks someone is going to kill her and there is an extended scene where she runs away but then once she is safe, she doesn't even report the incident. Reality check.I will say that I say the English dubbed version, which may have taken some ooomph out of it. I know for example that there are other German flicks I've seen with subtitles and then re-watched dubbed and the dubbing takes away from the experience. Dead Snow is one of those. The Troll Hunter another (altho in this case, not German).

Every horror fan should feel excited at the very least when they read the premise of this movie. It's something that seems fit for a "Saw" movie or an Eli Roth movie perhaps. It makes it all the more a shame that the film-makers seemed oblivious for the great material they were granted to work with. They all too obviously were not at ease within the horror genre and basically had no idea what they were doing.Not to make it sounds like the worst horror movie of all time but it's just such a shame to see how they waste all potential, by taking a completely wrong and stupid approach to its story.Problem is that this an horror movie, that has not idea how to handle or build up its tension or mystery. Or rather said; it doesn't seem to care about its mystery or tension at all. It's more busy with the soap series like developments and problems of the characters, that are more drama related than anything else really. I don't even think you could call this a thriller, since there is complete lack of the right required type of build-up.It causes you not to be grabbed by any of the movie its tension or mystery, which in return also makes you less interested in the overall movie and all of its characters. Another strange thing is that the main character, played by Franka Potente, disappears for too long out of the story a couple of times throughout the movie. All things that show how poorly told this movie is and how lacking its approach by director Stefan Ruzowitzky is.Of course the movie is not without its gore and it also has a pretty good atmosphere but the rest of the movie really brings it all down. As a genre lover I really wouldn't recommend this movie, despite its great (sounding) concept.If you are still looking for a movie to watch on Halloween...this is not the one.5/10 http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

I saw (unfortunately) the dubbed version on Encore.Student Paula Henning (Franka Potente who was also in the cult favorite "Run Lola Run") stars as a serious medical student who gets into a prestigious school in Germany. But she soon discovers that some students go missing and the bodies they work on in the anatomy lab are incredibly fresh...I was stuck seeing the dubbed version on Encore. It hurt a lot (the words not matching the lips got annoying real quick) but I still liked what I saw. The acting was good, it was beautifully photographed, it wasn't TOO gruesome and I was never bored. Even more refreshing was a likable heroine who fights back when the bad guys go after her. The (mild) nudity was, in a refreshing twist, male! A previous poster mentions Benno Furmann (who is excellent) showed his butt but I don't remember seeing it. Regardless this is a well done, scary and excellent thriller. From all I've read the original German language version is the best (I don't doubt that for one second) but the dubbed version is watchable. I give this a 7.