Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Donald Seymour This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

theseventhstooge I first encountered Fatih Akin in college. I was taking a class on German Film on my way to a concentration in German. Akin is easily one of my favorite filmmakers and Gegen die Wand is a major reason why. The story in Gegen die Wand is engaging, serious, funny, dramatic, and everything else you would expect from such a great movie. Don't be fooled, Gegen die Wand is intense as well covering such subjects as honor killings, immigration, cultural assimilation, drug abuse, and murder. Sibel and Birol bring their characters of Sibel and Cahit to life. In a epic first film, Sibel Kekilli shows herself to be a force to be reckoned with. While Birol Unel shows why he is one of Germany's best actors. Meanwhile, Fatih Akin demonstrates his amazing filmmaking abilities in a film that is personal.

Ed Curley I personally thought the story telling on this movie had several different layers of interpretation, which I personally like. It was shown to me how deep the characters and story were written with much thought. I personally just don't come across that in many independent films. If the story is garbage, the movie is garbage, this is not the case in this film. One great example was when Sibel cut her hair, Sibel, a hairdresser, can not only cut her own hair, but it can be taken that she needs to do so to hide from her family, but also suggest the huge change in her character at that moment in the story. It was obvious, but it didn't pull away from the story, and the meaning wasn't served on a silver platter. This transition, I thought, was executed very well.When the viewer first meets Cahit, to me he is truly a beast. Shown visually in many different ways, some even humorous. And on the polar opposite, Sibel, the beauty, a young girl, who is able to use her youth and innocence to get what she wants. She is very much a child throughout the film, unaware of the consequences of her actions, and egocentric as well as needy, materialistic, and pretty. This movie is about them growing, and I don't think they could have changed unless they were in each others lives. However they meet in this world of dysfunction, and nothing about their relationship is healthy. This movie is not about becoming new people and getting a clean slate because of a relationship, this is not a Hollywood movie, where everyone finds a new meaning of love and enters the same relationship with a new hope that it will work this time around just because they have grown or matured or changed a behavior. Cahit and Sibel are very hurt and damaged people, and this movie suggests how hurt and damaged people enter and react to a new relationship. This movie is not about how people get damaged, but rather seeing how people live and deal when they are damaged. It does show the role of family of origin, tradition, society norms, but it does not place blame. For those who have been around self destructive people, I can only guess that you will find the characters' actions and reactions as realistic. The acting is superb in that sense. For example even Cahit's occupation choice promotes a realistic reaction to a damaged life. It was written, casted, acted, and captured with much thought and skill.Side note: I really enjoyed the scene of the interview process for the marriage. Notice the position of how Cahit and his uncle are trapped on that couch, being studied and seeking approval, and how they held onto those tiny small cups.

frank_oleary I haven't watched such a great movie for a long time and it is really great to see that this is a Turkish movie. After Nuri Bilge Ceylan's success with Uzak in Cannes Film Festival, Faith Akin made a very successful move in contributing to Turkish cinema. First of all, the movie explains the life of the Turkish immigrants in Germany in a perfect way. We see how they cannot be neither German nor Turkish anymore. They are stuck in between and they act as punks. For instance, it is really true that most of the young Turkish people in Germany cannot speak Turkish, like Cahit. We also see the ridiculous pressure of Sibel's family: For instance, while her married brother threatens&beats her whenever she has a boyfriend, he and his friends can comfortably speak about how they sleep with prostitutes! Also the cast is very good, especially Sibel Kekilli and Birol Unel. I loved the scene where we can see the smile in Sibel's eyes in the amusement park: she is so much in love... In addition, there are so many things to say about the movie.. The story is a very striking one itself. The hopelessness of the characters in a world without love and moral values are explained so well-without making it dramatic. Also, Sibel's life in Istanbul, her cousin's life-like many of us: still single and waiting to be promoted!- are also judgements beside the main genre. The music is also very nice, with Depeche Mode and also traditional Turkish music. Faith Akin has really made a good job.. The script is excellent and the scenes are all pieces of artwork. I wish the best for him and all the cast and I hope to see movies perfect like this in the future too...

Vain-Adryanne This was definitely a bad movie.I saw that rating and the plot seemed good, and I had some expectations.The beginning was just stupid and unrealistic...a girl asking to a stranger that never talked to to marry her. Is not such a bad thing for a not to be realistic,but this was supposed to reflect reality.Birol Ünel was just great,he played so good his role but Siebl...I was expecting her to be a nice girl that felt in love with the older man that faced so much problems and help him but she turned to be just a superficial little girl,a slut that become a junkie too. So what can I say. Wasn't even a good story,cause she did not love him,she just used him.The scriptwriter just made her look a little jealous in some scenes,but that was all. A good love story should be deep,but this movie really did not touched me.The end could have saved the movie a little,but it did not...was just dry.Not any movie that treats a problem like addiction and is spiced with a bit of love deserves such a good rating.I would only give a 10 to Birol Ünel but the movie definitely deserves no more than a 5.