Axel von Ambesser
An episodic film, telling four erotic tales: Angela isn't sexually satisfied by her husband, so she simulates sleep-walking to visit her neighbor across the street every night; when his bathtub runs over, shy Peter gets to meet his sensuous neighbor Lolita; at a high-school reunion his former students pull a prank on Prof. Hellberg and make him believe he cheated on his wife while being drunk; Sybill has a good time during a break at the opera with the famous conductor Cramer.
Landlord Kohlhiesl has two twin daughters that nevertheless couldn't be more different: Liesel is beautiful, feminine, sophisiticated, educated and in love with a fellow, Toni, from back home. Ther other daughter, Susi, is clumsy, masculione, never left home and wants nothing to do with men. Liesel would dearly love to marry Tony, but her father refuses to allow the wedding until her sister Susi has found a husband first...
Bank accountant Thomas Lieven is forced to work as a triple agent for the British, the French and the Nazis.
With the help of God, the loveable safecracker Paul Wittkowski – aka “Cracker-Paulie” – manages to escape the clutches of the cops. He dresses up as a priest and ends up in a village, whose pastor is in dispute with an influential businessman. To help the pastor and a young widow, Paulie has to use his own special abilities. This work leads him back to the path of righteousness. He contacts the police and, after serving his time, starts a new life with the widow.
Germany, 1914: The bourgeois austerity of the small, northern German town in which Ulyssa lives conflicts sharply with her desire to flirt with and be ensnared by charming, young men. That she's married is irrelevant; it's a marriage which exists only on paper. Among all the men Ulyssa flirts with, there is one for which she has genuine affection: Stefen Marbach, an upright and sincere man, far superior to her other men. And, indeed, the two are honest with one another about their feelings, but the outbreak of the First World War separates them. Sometime later, Ulyssa finds out that not only her husband, but Stefan, too, has fallen in battle. The news of this disaster leads her to reconsider and eventually give in to the constant urgings of the Viennese merchant Reindl. Ulyssa joins Reindl in Vienna and lives a life of wealth and comfort, until one day, Stefan shows up.
During his trip to the city, a naïve man from the countryside falls victim to a thief who steals his wallet. Since all his personal documents were in it, he not only looses his money but also his identity. The thief turns out to be a cunning con man, who uses the papers for his criminal schemes. Soon enough, a warrant is issued, and eventually both men – the thief and the innocent guy – are arrested. But since all the red tape of the government causes even more confusion, the odyssey of the victim searching for his lost identity has just started.
Frauen sind keine Engel" was made on a moderate budget and has generally found not as much attention as that which has been rightfully accorded to his 'Viennese trilogy' made at about the same time. Please don't expect the outward splendour of some other Forst films, even though script, acting and direction leave nothing to be desired. However, like many of Forst's more important films this one not only provides great entertainment, but is also a thorough examination of the relation of fiction/art and reality.
The young emperor Joseph II of Austria and Hungary is not interested in romance and marriage, and every time his mother makes arrangements for him to meet eligible young ladies, he escapes under some pretense. This time he is off on a 'tour of inspection' with his trusted friend von Kleber. Things become complicated when von Kleber, pretending to be the emperor so as to protect the real Joseph from discovery, falls in love with Christine, the landlady of their lodgings. And when Christine later writes to the emperor, her letter is read by the mother of the real emperor, as keen as ever to see him getting married, and so the lady is invited to the imperial court.
As the title "The Queen's Heart" suggests, this early German black and white version of Mary Queen of Scott's eventful reign and death focuses on her emotional perception rather lyrically, with some songs, mainly by her.
In a transport museum, the items on display begin to tell their stories. Most interesting is the history of the Pullman car. In the beginning, it served as transport for a princely family; then became the headquarters car for the military high command; and then, most adventurous of all, it ended up with a circus. Converted to a bar, it finally had its day and was supposed to serve as a placard carrier. Luckily, the museum saved it from this sad fate.
