InspireGato Film Perfection

Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Transfer" is a German movie from 2010, so this one is already 7 years old now. It was directed by Damir Lukacevic and he is also one of the writers who worked on this movie. The most known names from the cast of this 90-minute film are probably Rehberg, Andree, Kurtulus and Hain. This is the story of an old married couple with the wife becoming terminally ill. Luckily for them, they find out about the opportunity of transferring one's soul into the bodies of other human beings and they agree to take that path because it is the only option for them to stay together. The two minds are transferred into the young and healthy bodies of two African refugees which somehow makes this film also more relevant in the face of the current political situation here in Germany. But the original souls of the refugees do not only get financial security for their families in exchange, they also get 4 hours each day during which they are again allowed to control their bodies.As a consequence of this, the protagonists start an inner battle with themselves at times. There are several important subjects handled in here aside from the question of moral. These would be suicide/murder, pregnancy, rich vs. poor, cultural differences, sex and love of course as well. This is definitely a very stylized film and the physical appearances of Hain's and Kurtulus' characters are the perfect example. but this should not mean that this film does not have any good story-telling or depth. Yes it can be said that not all of the drama and conflict is working as well as the filmmakers intended it to, but I still found it a really relevant and interesting watch. It is definitely underseen and my praise for this film is probably even more impressive as I am generally not too big on the Sci-Fi genre at all, especially when it comes to German films from this genre. I have seen quite a few and the vast majority wasn't any good at all. This is the exception that confirms the rule. Thumbs up and I recommend checking it out. Not a perfect film by any means, but good characters and a good story make it worth seeing and if you like the genre more than I do, you may actually end up really loving it. Don't miss out.

Christine Ogley I thought I'd add a review, since there aren't many up yet, and this isn't a movie that I think you'd easily find information on otherwise.Excellent movie. I was looking for some kind of cerebral sci-fi, and I definitely found it. There was a lot more social commentary than I expected (the summary on Netflix was vague), which was great. The visuals add to the commentary and plot - the white actors are so white, I mistakenly thought it was filmed in a Nordic country. (Yes, I know they are speaking German... The 'Nordic' setting seemed to make sense until I thought about the language.) The reflections are subtle enough to challenge you into thinking without hitting you in the face and getting you on the defensive.Gattaca is an apt reference. I'd add Total Recall and Blade Runner, although the effects are more Gattaca and/or cerebral French films. Actually it reminded me of The Beat That My Heart Skipped (Audiard) as well, possibly because of the stellar soundtrack. It's also similar to Audiard's movie as a psychologically gripping film, following characters through dubious choices through to some kind of understanding and/or change.

Quebec_Dragon This is a low-budget German movie with English subtitles. It was dubbed in French but not in English for some reason. In an undisclosed future time, very rich old people can transfer their minds to new healthy bodies. It turns out that the best candidates are black people. It's apparently a voluntary process since the company gives money to the poor black volunteers, which will be sent to their families. Also, the bodies get back their original minds for 4 hours each night. We follow an old white couple, very much in love, going through this process. At first we see their adaption to their new younger black bodies, including rich white society, with interludes as their bodies regain their own minds at night. The focus shifts more on the younger "minds" as it goes along.This is not a flashy movie with special effects by any means. This world resembles very much our own except the slightly more futuristic company. Even the transfer process is extremely minimalistic and not really shown. It's not a comedy, and it keeps a serious tone throughout despite opportunities for silly mischief when the old people get "young". It's more of an intimate social drama designed to make you think. It tackles racism, capitalism, medical ethics and what a soul is, but in mostly subtle ways. I thought the acting was fine (with the exception of the blond guy at night), but not outstanding. The main black actor was probably the stand-out because of his charismatic presence. I found the story interesting, I didn't know what was going to happen, but it didn't really grab me emotionally as melodrama was tightly restrained. To be honest, the movie felt a bit cold and definitely not like a typical American movie. I almost forgot to mention the original classical music soundtrack that was surprisingly good and sometimes added much-needed emotion. I liked watching Transfer, it's worth watching if you're into slow-placed intellectual sci-fi (with no effects), but I would not buy it. On my DVD, there were no special features.Rating: 6.5 out of 10 (good)

DigitalNemesis This movie played at the Vancouver International Film Festival and was a welcome gem to the many films submitted. There are always a few movies that get some attention at these festivals but Transfer definitely stands out as a true representation of a science fiction film that makes you think. This picture deals with the issue of people using clones / avatars / humanoids as a product in a capitalistic world where everything can be bought in the near future. Also the director tackles the idea that surrounds buying people that are another race and how the lives they left behind deal with the new black neighbours walking in their clothes at the country club every day. The characters in this movie are excellently portrayed and have a lot of feeling put into their actions around the situation of talking over a new host, and get complicated quickly. Damir talked about his film after the screening and wants people to think about the idea of the soul being tied to the physical body. Also examined the concept of being able to purchase every thing including new bodies after ours expire. This film is a must for SciFi enthusiasts. It is a polished independent picture that was made with minimal money feels like it has the heart of Gattaca and something written by Philip K. Dick.