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| Long Hello and Short Goodbye | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rainer Kaufmann |
| Produced by | Jeff Vintor Martin Rauhaus |
| Starring | Nicolette Krebitz |
| Cinematography | Klaus Eichhammer |
| Edited by | Ueli Christen |
| Music by | Marco Meister |
| Production company | Letterbox Filmproduktion |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German |
Long Hello and Short Goodbye is a 1999 German neo-noir crime film direcetd by Rainer Kaufmann, produced by Studio Hamburg Letterbox Filmproduktion and co-authored by Jeff Vintar and Martin Rauhaus [de; tr].
Plot summary
The film revolves around a recently released safe-cracker named Ben and an undercover police agent named Melody. Melody's job is to dupe Ben into another job so that he can be put away once more by her sinister and ambitious boss Kahnitz. But complications arise when the talkative cop falls for the taciturn gangster.
The film features a complex neo-noir flashback structure that centers on seemingly dead characters littering the bloody floor of a fancy apartment. As the story progresses, we find out that some of these dead people are not dead at all, more are hiding in the closet, and slowly the pieces of the puzzle come together.
Cast
- Nicolette Krebitz as Melody
- Marc Hosemann as Ben
- Sunnyi Melles as Aurelia
- Axel Milberg as Percy
- Dietrich Hollinderbäumer as Kahnitz
- Martin Glade as Dennis
- Katja Riemann as Ida
- Hannelore Hoger as Therapeutin/Therapist
- Stefan Kurt as Arzt/Doctor
- Albert Kitzl [de] as Dealer
- Gustav Peter Wöhler [de] as Verkäufer/Salesman
- Michael Benthin [de] as Rezeptionist/Receptionist
- Eva Kryll [de; it; nds] as Sachbearbeiterin/Case Worker
- Jimmy Yassa-Campos as Tresenmann/Barkeeper
- Atto Suttarp [de] as Pizzamann/Pizza Man
Production history
Based on an original English-language screenplay by I, Robot writer Jeff Vintar, the English-language version of Vintar's screenplay struggled to reach the screen for many years. The work was under a variety of producers and production companies; hence, the script was under option for a very long time. At one time, Gustavo Mosquera, who had directed Moebius, was slated as its director, with John Woo and partner Terence Chang producing under their Lion Rock banner.
The screenplay that eventually made it to the screen was developed by the production company Circle of Confusion. Shortly before the movie's release, the film's producers "got cold feet" and re-edited the film to give it a linear narrative, which became the version that made it to the screen.
Critical reception
The film became a cult favorite among noir buffs, and received a positive review in Variety that predicted that the film would play in broad-minded festivals around the world, and that genre fans would "lap it up".
The final editing that gave the film its linear narrative is said to have diluted its "effect", which resulted in its polarizing critics and audience members alike.
Futther reading
- Elley, Derek (July 12, 1999). "Reviews: Long Hello and Short Goodbye". Variety. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
References
- "Long Hello and Short Goodbye". filmportal.de. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- Elley, Derek (12 July 1999). "Long Hello Short Goodbye". Variety. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
External links
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