The godmother - no turning back
The Godmother - No Way Back is a three-part German television film with Veronica Ferres in the leading role. RTL and ORF had the series of films produced for eight million euros and broadcast them on December 14, 15 and 17, 2008, at 8:15 pm. The executive production company was the UFA subsidiary teamWorx .
action
Katharina Almeda is a housewife and mother of two children. Her husband is the owner of an export company and, what Katharina does not know, is involved in various illegal transactions. With his accomplice and lover Marie, whom he pretends to be his wife, he travels through Europe and expands his illegal network. But now he is cooperating with the BND to get out and is being held in a hidden place. His wife Katharina is the focus of investigations by the BKA and their children are threatened by criminals. Katharina is forced to smuggle five million euros from Moscow to Geneva and has to quickly find half a ton of heroin . In the meantime, Katharina tied up with the Russian Sergej, but she dropped him again before she left for Argentina with her husband, children and widowed father.
reception
Quota
| Spectators (from 3 years) | Viewer (14-49 years) | Market share (14-49 years) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 5.18 million | 2.28 million | 15.3% |
| Part 2 | 5.17 million | 2.11 million | 15.7% |
| part 3 | 5.27 million | 2.30 million | 18.7% |
The ratings of the series fell short of the station's expectations. The first part of the film was only able to assert itself in third place in the daily ranking after the crime scene in the first and an Inga Lindström film adaptation on ZDF . In addition, the rate was below the broadcaster average of 16.1%. The second part had the most viewers of the day with 5.17 million, but lagged behind a broadcast of the film Sissi - The Young Empress from 1956 on Sat.1 in the target group of 14 to 49 year olds . The third was the most successful part of the series and was able to achieve a market share above the broadcaster average.
Reviews
While few publications were positive, the main actress Ferres was exposed to negative criticism. Her performance in this film and her lack of versatility were criticized. The cast of the main character with Ferres was also criticized, while Axel Prahl and Mikael Persbrandt received positive reactions. The script was received in many positive and negative ways, with the obvious proximity to Traffic - Power of the Cartel and the leading actress Catherine Zeta-Jones being denounced throughout .
“[…] The three-part suit isn't bad. Has Ferres played the same role over and over again in recent years? So what? She does it well and millions of people enjoy watching her do it. "
“An artfully intricate conspiracy spectacle that has only one problem: the leading actress. […] Veronica Ferres here once again varies her role as a driven mother animal, and in her, as always, murderous rage, the subtleties that actually characterize this intricate conspiracy scenario between high politics, big money and globalized crime are fluttered. [...] If she didn't play the title role - this monstrous crime thriller could spread its un-Christmas message even more rigorously: Women are simply better criminals. "
“The story is complex and quite exciting. But the main actress remains simple as usual. […] Veronica Ferres is Veronica Ferres. She is her own brand. It doesn't matter except your own. And she won't end up as the super mom, in the end she'll be the super godmother. "
“When the genres of family drama and agent thriller are amalgamated, the“ godmother ”tends to come up with a temporary solution. In the moments when the plot gathers speed, family life bursts into it, the big gangster world degenerates into caricature. To which side the action dissolves makes clear the intention of the film, which is ultimately about a cozy family happiness with adventure components and for which international crime is only a sideline. The question arises whether the little luck was worth the big effort. "
"[...] Thielen and her team [...] have succeeded in delivering a piece of television that is large in scope and narrative power, with which the broadcaster demonstrates the courage to take new fictional paths, which is loudly demanded again and again."
““ The Godmother - No Way Back ”wants a lot, too much. BKA, BND, Russian Mafia, Corsican Mafia a second wife Almeda, an old friend of Max - everyone is allowed to join in and ensure that this eight-million-dollar production is constantly changing. The result: a sadly rather unrealistic story in which the dead live longer and are plentifully served from the Hollywood fundus. It's a shame actually. The story of a housewife who suddenly has to say goodbye to her perfect world existence and continues her husband's dark business can also work (see Catherine Zeta-Jones in “Traffic”, who served as a model for the RTL godmother ). But last but not least, “The Godmother” would have needed a leading actress who can fill this multi-faceted role better than Veronika Ferres. "
“The personage is becoming more and more obscure. And the impression arises that two parts would have been enough to tell the story more tightly and consistently. The end of the trilogy is as implausible as it is claimed. "
background
The screenwriter Christoph Darstädt said the following about his work:
“Everything that has to do with the Russian mafia is not realistic and purely fictitious. The competition between BKA and BND is definitely there and can also be read. "
Web links
- Godmother - No way back in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The godmother - no turning back on the website of the production company UFA
- The Godmother - No turning back on the website of the production company teamWorx
- The godmother - no turning back at crew united
- The godmother - no way back on RTLnow.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Release certificate for The Godmother - No way back . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , November 2008 (PDF; test number: 115 958 DVD).
- ↑ a b Trial by Fire for Ferres in a TV feature film
- ↑ RTL three-part series “Die Patin” falls short of expectations ( memento of the original from December 26, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in Digitalfernsehen.de
- ↑ Mum killing in Spiegel Online
- ↑ Ms. Ferres becomes a criminal in Focus Online
- ↑ Big effort for a little luck in FAZ
- ↑ “The Godmother”: RTL convinces with Teamworx three-part series in DWDL.de
- ↑ “The Godmother”: Veronika Ferres in the swamp of crime in Brigitte.de
- ↑ Television: Veronica Ferres plays “The Godmother” ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in Märkische Allgemeine
- ↑ How realistic is the TV thriller? in Bild.de
