Short Sharp Shock (1998)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Awesome Movie

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

I was living in St. Pauli, Hamburg at the end of 1998 when this movie came to a cinema on the Reeperbahn. Then, one evening, I met Faith Akin and the main characters of the movie on this very street, and I congratulated them. I told them I had watched the movie three times already, which was not true, since I had only seen it twice, but decided to go and watch it for a third time, which I did, even though I had little money. But I had to watch this movie over and over again, because I had not expected to ever see anything similar from a Germany-born director. The direct, vital, unpretentious acting and the authenticity of the settings and the language were something that I could't get enough of. Ralph Herforth has never been so convincing. It is one of these movies that reveal new details every time you watch them. At times, the movie seems to become very "turkish" and even over-sentimental, at other times, it is just world-class, as for an example in the post-office scene with Costa and his "awakening". To me, this is maybe THE best movie of Faith Akin so far.

I watched this flick on TV. It was a Hamburg special night and I didn't expect much but after ten or twenty minutes I was totally into the film. Usually when I watch a German gangster film it just tries to copy the American model which doesn't make much sense since crime in America is completely different from crime in Germany. This flick however had this realistic touch to it and I definitely enjoyed the authenticity of the characters and I admired all three of the main protagonists for playing their parts so well. Especially the Turkish character seemed so realistic to me that I can only think of him as a small time crook now, even when I see him in other films. I believe that this is Akin's best film so far, I watched GEGEN DIE WAND as well but I can't say that I enjoyed it more. However, it is a real pity that we don't have more German directors who can deliver such good work as Akin did. If only there were more directors who know how to create atmosphere as well as Akin. Kudos, Faith!

Don't know why somebody wrote this ridiculous Nazi AND Porno thing, but most definitely he hasn't seen or understood the movie. Great actors, intriguing story, great soundtrack. Haven't seen anybody ( including my turkish buddies ) who didn't love this movie.

Why this movie was a failure at the German box-office will always be a mystery to me. Fatih Akin, the director, was obviously influenced by Martin Scorsese's and Brian DePalma's first movies but he didn't try to imitate them. Instead he made one of the first movies which truly celebrates the 'Multikulti'-society that Germany has become (At least in the larger cities).You can't help but like the Turkish, Serbian and Greek protagonists albeit they are criminals. The characters are far too alive and three-dimensional to be seen as stereotypes/cliches thrown in to reinforce prejudices.To me, KURZ UND SCHMERZLOS was the best German movie of 1998 (Even better than LOLA RENNT) and I recommend it to anyone who likes MEAN STREETS, Matthieu Kassovitz' LA HAINE or the films of Lars Becker. 9 out of 10.