Knallhart (Tough Enough) (2006)
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91% of critics liked it
(11 reviews) -
74% of users liked it
(677 ratings)
As written and directed by Detlev Buck, the inner-city character drama Tough Enough opens on 15-year-old Michael Polischka (David Kross), who lives with his single, white trash mom, Miriam (Jenny Elvers-Elbertzhagen and her wealthy physician lover, Klaus (Jan Henrik Stahlberg) in an affluent German… More As written and directed by Detlev Buck, the inner-city character drama Tough Enough opens on 15-year-old Michael Polischka (David Kross), who lives with his single, white trash mom, Miriam (Jenny Elvers-Elbertzhagen and her wealthy physician lover, Klaus (Jan Henrik Stahlberg) in an affluent German suburb. After Miriam and Klaus have a bitter quarrel, mother and son are thrown out onto their ear, and must move to Neukoelln, a gritty ghetto in the eastern section of Berlin rife with illegal Turkish immigrants. Michael experiences a brush or two with the law by falling in with a pack of juvenile delinquents, including Crille (Arnel Taci) and his brother Matze (Kai Michael Mueller) , who (on a darkly humorous note) collectively gain revenge on Klaus by breaking into his home and robbing him blind. Circumstances take a decidedly nastier turn, however, when Michael falls prey to the wheedling of thug Hamal (Erhan Emre) and agrees to go to work as a drug runner. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Directed By
- Detlev Buck
- Genres
- Drama
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Feb 12, 2006 Wide
- Studio
- The Match Factory
Critic Reviews
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Trevor Johnston, Time Out
A tragic cycle, persuasively rendered in a movie that's neatly achieved, if small in scale.
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Steve Rose, Guardian [UK]
Well acted, scored and paced, and striking a careful balance between social realism and hip street thriller.
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James Christopher, Times [UK]
A grainy piece of Berlin realism by Detlev Buck which follows a 15-year-old boy caught between a rock and a hard place.
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Simon Jordan, Film4
A matter-of-fact socio-realist style and some strong central performances making this a shocking German drama.
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David Jenkins, Total Film
Done no favours by its camera-phone aesthetic, Tough Enough doesn't have much of a sell-by date.
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