Search - Liberated Zone (Sub) on DVD

Mediocre

Sarah Bellum | Dublin, OH United States | 09/06/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"(2.5/5 stars) The film revolves around a small town that has a perennially losing football (soccer) team, yet sees its hopes rise when a star is traded to the team. He becomes an instant hit with the townsfolk, who place all their hopes on his shoulders. Alas, it is the nature of sports fame that one is only as good as one's next game and his popularity depends on winning. Will he be good enough to carry the team and win the championship? Set against this backdrop is the love story between a young woman, who is engaged to a successful young businessman, and the soccer star. Without wanting to reveal too much of the story, I will simply say there is more than one philanderer in town. Who ends up with whom? For a comedy, this movie isn't very funny. The plot is not terribly interesting and not many of the characters are sympathetic or likeable. Ultimately it is also a little depressing given the fact nothing much positive happens during its course. It is a low budget film as well, though this doesn't necessarily affect it negatively because neither special effects nor big name celebrities are essential to tell the tale. There are some decent things about the movie that keep it from being a complete waste of time. I did like the glimpse into modern life in East Germany and I like the fact the DVD is presented in German rather than being dubbed. Additionally, karmic reactions provide most of the movie's redeeming values. For example, Sylvia's brother, who exemplifies a young jerk, gets beaten up by the Chinese youth he had bullied. The movie also has an energy and ambition to it that initially hold great promise; unfortunately, the story and pacing don't quite live up to this. The ending is fairly lighthearted, which is welcome, though the "surprise" ending wasn't much of a surprise since it was revealed, albeit very briefly, at the beginning of the movie. I'm not certain why this was done if the intent was to truly provide a surprise. Finally, it appears the title might be doppeldeutig, referring to both the liberation of the former East Germany from Soviet and Communist control, as well as a sexual liberation of the characters, with interracial, homosexual and adulterous relationships being themes. Whether or not this is the case, the film is not interesting enough to warrant my recommendation."

Laugh out loud funny from a new director!

Marc Hughes | Bogota, NJ USA | 01/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I originally saw this film at a festival and loved it. Very funny story, lots of plot twists and turns. Story follows a town's resurgence when the local soccer team imports a superstar footballer. Economy and libido increase exponentially as the team rises in the standings, leading to a hilarious climax. Two thumbs up!"