Rating: 
Summary: One of 2001's Most Cruelly Ignored Films
Review: It is criminal that, when writing a review for Tom Tykwer's masterly "The Princess & The Warrior", you almost need to mention Tykwer's previous film, 1999's "Run Lola Run". Using flash-cuts, still photographs, animation, black-and-white stock, digital video and slow-motion photography, amongst other cinematic techniques, Tykwer's sophomore effort, following his little-seen debut "Wintersleepers", announced a new wild, energetic talent behind the camera of world cinema, as well as a new pretty face infront of it in 'Lola' herself, Franka Potente. Two years later, Tykwer follows up "Lola" with something almost completely different in tone and execution, trading in "Lola's" kinetic energy with a leisurely-paced fable that would knock Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Amelie" out for six.Of course, the comparisons with "Lola" can yield a few results, with some key actors (Franka Potente, Joachim Krol, Lars Rudolph) returning along with some key crew members, including "Lola's" adventurous director of photography Frank Griebe. But, compared to "Lola's" full-on assault on the senses, "Princess" washes over you like a giant tsunami, thanks in large part to its gorgeous cinematography, luminous production design and some nifty special effects (including a specific moment that David Fincher would be proud of). Of particular mention is the score by Tykwer himself and his co-composers Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil (otherwise known as Pale 3), who after granting "Lola" a score that would go down a storm at a rave, expertly wrack up the tension using a more classically influenced sound. Tykwer's bold script and direction remain the catalyst for these factors though. It is testament to his savvy that he gets inside of both Sissi and Bodo's heads and projects their points of view towards the audience in an unpredictable way, avoiding narration for the most part and letting some searing visuals tell us the story; the closing scenes are of reference here as it perfectly captures Bodo's state of mind and his final accepting decision without hardly any lines of dialogue whatsoever. The script, meanwhile, throws in a bank robbery, a loony asylum and a blind medium, amongst other plot devices, that serve the story rather than clog up the narrative, which remains tightly focused on the sparsely-worded relationship between Sissi and Bodo. The acting is wonderful, also, particularly from the two leads. Of course it helps that both of them have amazingly expressive faces, particularly Franka Potente's perfectly formed mouth and Benno Furmann's bluer-than-blue eyes, and are pretty damn attractive as well. Potente answers the critics who slandered her performance in "Lola" as consisting largely of running with a moving performance as Sissi, who could be Amelie Poulain's older, more mature, sexier cousin whilst Furmann unloads some alarming emotional moments most actors in Hollywood wouldn't be able to pull off (and gets naked a couple of times too!). As well as a cast of German supporting players who could eat the "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" inmates for breakfast, Joachim Krol, the tramp in "Lola" who has the elusive money, as Bodo's older, protective brother and Lars Rudolph, the S&M fetishist-turned-bank teller in "Lola", as Sissi's disturbed admirer ably support the leads throughout. How this film was ignored by so many people, particularly academy voters, is beyond me; but anyone who's seen "Lola" and is intrigued by what Tykwer came up with next, before his English-language debut "Heaven" with Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi, mind, ought to check this sweetly romantic yet challengingly dark feature film, if not for Tykwer than for Potente and Furmann, two stars in the making. If that doesn't sway you, the DVD itself has two audio commentaries, deleted scenes and a 40-minute making-of documentary. A worthy package for a more-than-worthy film.
Rating:
Summary: Strange and wonderful
Review: After watching Franka Potente in "Run, Lola, Run," I decided that I would have to watch for any other films she made. She is obviously so different from your average Hollywood female star--it was nothing less than a pleasure to watch her in "Lola," and I just knew she would be in other films I would enjoy. I was not disappointed. In "The Princess and the Warrior," Potente plays Sissi, a nurse in a psychiatric hospital. Sissi doesn't know any life outside of the hospital--all of her relationships centre around the place! After a freak accident in which a passer-by, (played by Benno Furmann)saves her, Sissi develops an obsession for her saviour. Benno, it turns out, is a bit of a bad boy, but this doesn't dissuade Sissi from her obsession, but apart from that, he is also the only link she has with humanity outside of the hospital. I actually enjoyed this film a lot more than "Run, Lola, Run." "The Princess and the Warrior" is a much more serious film.
Rating:
Summary: Tykwer is masterful with the handling of fate.
Review: Tom Tykwer has become one of my favorite film directors and screenwriters. "The Princess and The Warrior" was an excellent film in all aspects: story, characterization, cinematography, score, actors' performances. I recommend it for those who believe in fate, a journey of personal and interpersonal growth of two people, whose lives are not merely convenient or coincidental. Tykwer knows how to tell stories with his cameras' views, how to keep you guessing (wrong many times), how to intrigue with sentiment and hope without being artificial or cloyingly cheap, how to intermix physical external reality with the surrrealness of a person's perceptions of reality. The plot was intricately constructed, all scenes linked, all characters having a history and purpose. The characters, you care about them, you are invested in them. (One of my major complaints about the majority of US films.) It's often difficult to describe films like this, because you don't want to give away the plot, but even so, the film's message transcends a plot fulfillment. It has an epic feel, without being an epic, because the characters are transformed both within and outward, a magnitude of understanding transgressed, yet the plot moves briskly. Chaos and reconstruction, on all fronts, plenty of fodder for thought. For those who like to think, and those who enjoy a good "suspense drama," this was a wonderfully executed plan, a hybrid of "Run Lola Run" and "Heaven" in theme and style. (P.S. might I facetiously add, the main guy has beautifully rich blue eyes, an intensity mixed with confused innocence, and the most absurdly hot life-saving maneuver I have ever seen in a movie.) 4 1/2 of 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastischer Film!
Review: _The Princess and the Warrior_ offers great characters, an interesting story line, and great cinematography and direction. Like many others, I saw _Run Lola Run_ first, and liked it very much. This film had more character development and seems to be a more introspective and philosophical than Lola. Potente carries the film with her portrayal of a sanitorium nurse, Sissi. She is a strong lead and can show a great range of emotions. The character of Bodo Riemer, played by Führmann, also gave a great performance as an ex-soldier who is recovering from the death of his wife. He is emotionally distant, and has fallen into a life of crime. A freak accident brings the two together, and Bodo ends up saving Sissi's life. After Sissi's long recovery, she sets out to find Bodo, believing that they are meant to be together. Bodo cannot move on from his past, and Sissi is rejected many times. This movie is not a typical boy-meets-girl romance, rather, it is about fate, and how things can change in a split second. I highly recommend this film!
Rating:
Summary: Great Extras!
Review: While I enjoyed The Princess & The Warrior as a stand-alone film, the extras on this DVD made me adore it. You can read other reviewer's opinions on how this movie compares to Run Lola Run, but all I have to say is that I loved some of the inside referrences, such as when Sissi, Franke Potente's character, says "zwanzig minuten" ("twenty minutes") in this film. It's a great references to Run Lola Run, when she said it over and over. Anyway, it really is the bonuses on this DVD that make it. The cut scenes are fantastic additions to the story, and I especially appreciated the 15 minute long introduction from Tom Tykwer and the other editor, explaining their editing process. The "Making Of" documentary is completely facinating--amazing to see what the actors were *actually* jumping into when they leapt from atop the asylum. Also facinating to get some of the background on the asylum characters. Each one had such depth that's only hinted at in the movie...when you see interviews with each of those actors, you really see how deep this film went. I especially loved the one actor who decided her character went crazy after doing LSD in the '60s. Hee hee. Great background information. Best of all the extras was the commentary with Tom Tykwer (the director), Franka ("Sissi"), and Benno ("Bodo"). I was wondering how the task of subtitling both the film AND the commentary was going to be pulled off, but I was happily surprised to hear all three of them speaking in English. They all speak the language *very* well, but it's awfully cute to hear when one of them pauses and says something like "Wie sagt man?" ("What the word?"). You get some great behind-the-scenes stories and a much better feel for the actors. I didn't realize that several of the actors in this film besides Franka were also in Run Lola Run, but each one is pointed out. The DVD also includes a second commentary track (Tom Tykwer alone), and a music video (eh: I wasn't that impressed). If you loved the film, there's *no way* you can live without this DVD. If you only *liked* the film, then I suggest you check out the DVD and prepare to have your opinion swayed. Fantasic! For those of looking for Run Lola Run, just buy that DVD instead. This film is very different, but equally fantastic.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful, Modern Fairytale
Review: Do not allow yourself to be intreagued mearly because the star and director of the ulta-cool, fate driven action film "Run Lola Run" have reunited. I'm sure by this point you've heard that this film is entirely different, but it's worth repeating. While as with Lola, fate seems to have a hand in the events, it takes on a much more dramatic tone. The basic premis of the story it that Sissi (Potente), who works at a mental hospital, is hit by a truck, and her life is saved by Bodo (Furmann) while he's on the run (literally) for stealing. After a long recouperation, she returns to work, and strives to find her savior, with the help of a button and a blind man. He however, Bodo has no interest in socializing with her. Sissi is shown as a princess, living in a castle-like mental hospital, where she holds power over her patients. Bodo is an ex-army man, living atop a hill in a small, dirty shack, who dreams of a better life for himself and his brother. While it is an apt comparison to say it resembels a fairy tale, this film goes significantly deeper than that, with Bodo's obviously symbolic crying and the somewhat surprising and odd metaphoric ending. It's an excelent film, and the stylish direction makes it a movie that I find myself re-watching alot more that I'd expected.
Rating: 
Summary: Sissi and Lola
Review: In the film, "Run Lola Run", Tom Tykwer challenges to the cinematic male gaze. One year later Tykwer made this film and he challenges it again. Compare to Lola, Sissi is a totally different character. Unlike to Lola, Sissi follows the Hollywood heroin image by how she dresses. However, after Sissi meets Benno, She also becomes a hero to save Benno like Lola saving Manni. The difference between Lola and Sissi is that Lola is more like a super woman. Lola wants to save Manni by herself. On the other hand, Sissi is an ordinary woman who wants to help Benno out. Because Sissi and Benno are connected to each other by feeling loneliness so toward the end, they help and support each other to get away. Unlike Lola couldn't save Manni, Sissi could save Benno. I think that although Sissi and Benno are both lonely, Sissi is mentally stronger than Benno because he suffers from his past. Benno needs Sissi's help and he accepts her help but Manni asked Lola for a help but he solves himself. Even though Sissi succeeds to help Benno, does he have to be mentally weak? In this film, Benno cries a lot. The situations of Lola and Sissi are different but they are in the same situation that females cannot act as same as male roles do. If this film was made of a continuation of "Run Lola Run", Tykwer might be telling us that although Sissi could be a hero, the situation hasn't been changed.
Rating:
Summary: Not just another heist movie. [4.5+ stars]
Review: Two individuals cross paths in a most unlikely manner: after Sissi, a psych ward nurse, gets struck down by a truck Bodo, a disturbed and violent man, runs to her safety and saves her life. From this point in time both of their lives become forever intertwined, although not always in a healthy and positive manner. While Bodo just wants to let events rest in the past Sissi becomes obsessed with him and won't leave him alone. She frequently ponders whether her rescue of Bodo was an act of fate or coincidence, and as the events of this film unravel the audience is also perplexed at the true meaning. Meanwhile Bodo and his brother are planning a bank heist and desperately wish that Sissi would leave them both alone, even to the point of throwing her out in the middle of a rain storm. But Sissi is relentless to reach out to the disturbed Bobo and the demons that lay in his head. There is little doubt that this is a dark and twisted film -- but at the same time it is entertaining and engrossing. The character development is finely executed resulting in a finely tuned film full of action, emotion, and depth. It's a shame that I never heard of this DVD only until recently. Why? It truly deserves more publicity and praise. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Sissi and Lola
Review: In the film, "Run Lola Run", Tom Tykwer challenges to the cinematic male gaze. One year later Tykwer made this film and he challenges it again. Compare to Lola, Sissi is a totally different character. Unlike to Lola, Sissi follows the Hollywood heroin image by how she dresses. However, after Sissi meets Benno, She also becomes a hero to save Benno like Lola saving Manni. The difference between Lola and Sissi is that Lola is more like a super woman. Lola wants to save Manni by herself. On the other hand, Sissi is an ordinary woman who wants to help Benno out. Because Sissi and Benno are connected to each other by feeling loneliness so toward the end, they help and support each other to get away. Unlike Lola couldn't save Manni, Sissi could save Benno. I think that although Sissi and Benno are both lonely, Sissi is mentally stronger than Benno because he suffers from his past. Benno needs Sissi's help and he accepts her help but Manni asked Lola for a help but he solves himself. Even though Sissi succeeds to help Benno, does he have to be mentally weak? In this film, Benno cries a lot. The situations of Lola and Sissi are different but they are in the same situation that females cannot act as same as male roles do. If this film was made of a continuation of "Run Lola Run", Tykwer might be telling us that although Sissi could be a hero, the situation hasn't been changed.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is a wonderful, but slightly disturbing movie. The translation is not that good, but do-able. Wonderful acting and character development. A MUST see. And buy.
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