Enlarge image
Leo Hölzer (Vladimir Burlakov, left) and Adam Schürk (Daniel Sträßer): Unfortunately, the promise of larger-than-life action is not kept.
Photo: Manuela Meyer / SR
The scenario:
Great, the bet is torture! In order to solve the death of an old lady, Inspector Hölzer (Vladimir Burlakov) smuggles himself into a gang of gambling addicts who spend their days and nights away with meaningless challenges. What counts is the next kick. However, the simpletons achieve this at a fairly low threshold: one time it's about one person having to get the other's girlfriend into bed. Another time, the two men hold their heads under water until they can no longer breathe. Colleague Schürk (Daniel Sträßer) keeps the undercover investigation going by giving Hölzer the loot from a bank robbery, which was already the topic of the previous Saar “crime scene,” as a bet.
The highlight:
“Fight Club” meets “The Little Rascals”: The tight-knit circle of betting junkies is sometimes reminiscent of a narrow-gauge version of David Fincher’s adrenaline spectacle. The fact that, in between drinking whiskey, chewing nicotine gum and funny pranks, a drama about wanting to have children is set up completely brings the “crime scene” to a boil. It's a shame, the young Saar district had had a fantastic run recently.
The picture:
Deployment in slow motion. After a fantastic night in the casino, the betting gang marches into the sun - and in slow motion, as we know from heroic epics. Unfortunately, the promise of larger-than-life action is not fulfilled.
The dialogue:
A colleague of Hölzer interrogates a suspect from the gang:
Inspector: “What did you do after you left Louisa Becker’s house last night?”
Suspect: »I went home, watched deep sea films and ate sweets. Pathetic, isn’t it?”
The song:
“Find Your Way Back” by Beyoncé. The tinsel R&B track plays in the disco of the casino where the ragged betting gang hangs out. One of the troupe dances at a slob on the dance floor and grabs his car keys from his suit pocket. Then you drive the pick-up into the morning sun.
The review:
3 out of 10 points. Adrenaline rushes like a bell-prank tour: Then maybe you'd prefer a round of “Fight Club”.
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“Crime Scene: The Curse of Money,”
Sunday, 8:15 p.m., Das Erste