Auf brennender Erde

I really don't like this attempt at a psychological drama. I have no desire to dedicate a longer comment to such a construct. As others have said, it's polished Hollywood kitsch - a nice decoration with minimal substance. Overall impression: 40%. (15.02.2013)

Several very strong and sincere scenes, a Mercedes-Benz SL 500, and an excellent Kim Basinger. Otherwise, it is quite cynical, and fragmented stories have been quite tiresome for a good while because every other director has been using them. It is far from being as cool as it was during the time of 21 Grams. The director of this film clearly doesn't think so, and the result reflects that, too. Overall, it's kind of awkward, but it’s a good choice for a Saturday night. It won't make a big impact, but it's also not embarrassing. (05.12.2010)

The brilliant screenwriter of the "loose" trilogy (which I reeeeeeally love): Amores Perros, 21 Grams, and Babel has written and even directed himself another equally interesting, emotional, entrancing, but mostly human and believable story. Again, the patchwork narrative is the actual key to the story itself in this case – I honestly wasn't particularly impressed with the first half, and feared that the film would continue in its (by then) unjustified vein of the despair and emptiness of its characters, with the punchline being some sort of disaster (like a mass car crash). However, afterwards I was really glad I was wrong.)) and got a climax like crazy, where I just shook my head in disbelief at and nodded appreciatively at the screenwriting skills of Guillermo Arriaga. My only complaint would perhaps be with the directing. Maybe that's not really a criticism, so much as a necessary comparison between Iñárritu's directorial approach and Arriaga's. For in the aforementioned trilogy (Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel – this particularly applies to the middle installment), Iñárritu was able to further emphasize the emotional and psychological depth of the story, primarily through the use of shaky camerawork and shots from seemingly uninteresting or extravagant angles – in this respect, Arriaga is a "mere" writer/director. On the other hand, Arriaga's directorial approach can be considered pleasingly civil, "clean", and quite consistent with the chosen subject, but perhaps too restrained and lulled by the almost certain fact that the script itself will ensure sufficient emotional impact. (26.11.2010)