Anatomy II (Anatomie II)

08/17/2015 20:32

Film: Anatomy II (Anatomie II)

Year: 2003

Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky

Writer: Stefan Ruzowitzky

Starring: Ariane Schnug, August Diehl and Herbert Knaup

 

Review:

This film begins at an awards ceremony of some kind. There is a man who is sweating profusely, played by August Diehl. He is trying to speak with the renowned doctor that he works with, played by Herbert Knaup. Knaup doesn’t give him the time of day and he is called on stage. Diehl walks toward the stage, a scalpel in hand and removes his coat and shirt with it. He then cuts across his chest before killing himself.

We then shift to our main character, played by Barnaby Metschurat. He has been accepted to go to a medical school in Berlin. His brother is played by Hanno Koffler. He is in a wheelchair and has a degenerative condition that has taken away his ability to walk. Metschurat’s mother is taking him to the train station. He states in this film that he is trying to become a doctor, because his father died of the same condition that is killing his brother. He wants to find a cure.

Upon arriving in Berlin, he is a staying with a group of Pilipino nurses. One of them he takes a liking to him, played by Rosie Alvarez. Metschurat has a thing for her too.

We then get a doctor who is on the phone with someone; he is played by Milagros Saliwann-Neumann. He states something that involves Diehl. It is now said that he was a junkie that lost control. Saliwann-Neumann doesn’t feel like it is. He is called to an operating room. When he gets there, he doesn’t find anyone. Some people dressed for surgery show up and Saliwann-Neumann is hit in the head with a heavy instrument.

It is then the first day for Metschurat. He stands with another intern, played by Murali Perumal. Perumal points out the important people that are leading the orientation. Knaup is in attendance along with his boss, played by Ariane Schnug. Metschurat learns that the doctor he will be working under is played by Joachim Bißmeier.

We then get a montage of Metschurat as he treats patients, doesn’t get a lot of sleep and clashes with Bißmeier about how to treat patients. Bißmeier is very by the book while his younger counterpart tries to do newer things that he believes will help and wants to save everyone. Metschurat also hates insurance companies dictating who can be helped and who cannot.

While working, he sees Knaup’s research team. There is a woman in the group that catches his eye; she is played by Heike Makatsch. Alvarez is jealous and tells them that she is a shiny apple with a rotten core.

Alvarez comes to Metschurat and asks him to help a young girl. Her nose has been bleeding for two days and no one is sure why. She does not have insurance so a doctor cannot help. He checks her out and then with the help of Alvarez and some of the other women, they break into an operating room. He ends up saving her while one of the other women distracts his boss. All the while, Knaup has watched what he has done and then comes to the operating room. He asks Metschurat to come see him tomorrow.

He does what he was asked, but comes in yelling. Knaup listens and then actually informs him that he is impressed at what he did. He invites Metschurat to a get-together at his house. Metschurat comes and learns he is considered for the research team. He meets the rest of the group. Of note in this group is a nerdy Roman Knizka, kind of crazy one played by Wotan Wilke Möhring, Sebastian Nakajew and a really muscular Felix Kramer. Also there is Frank Giering, but is an outcast that everyone seems to point out. That night he comes to an operating room and lets Makatsch inject with him something. They end up having crazy sex together.

Metschurat learns that they are part of the Anti-Hippocratic society. He also learns that they working on synthetic muscles. Metschurat is interested, due to what is happening to his brother. The problem with this is that they have to place a transmitter in their back, which allows the muscles to be controlled by computer. Metschurat learns that everyone has some inserted into their bodies, if he wants to join, he will need to do the same.

Will Metschurat join this group? He has a lot of people who are telling him not to. Will he heed their advice before it is too late? Or will he be seduced by what they are offering? This plot gets even thicker when it seems everyone that is in the hospital is helping or wants to be a part of the AAA. Giering is trying to expose them and is meeting with Franka Potente, who reprises her character from the first one. She is now a police officer trying to ensure that the AAA is taken down. Will she succeed?

I have to say that this one is not a bad sequel. I am glad that they went in a different direction in this one than the first one. I think this one though does fall in the typical horror film clichés. Metschurat wants to be a great doctor, wants to help, but is seduced by the power and what AAA states they want to do. I do think this one is interesting in the use of the synthetic muscles. These make them superhuman, but it also makes it where they can be controlled by a computer program as well. This one carries the feel of dread that comes with secret society based films as well, in that you don’t know who is a part of it or who wants to be and will help to make that happen. The acting for the most part is good and the story itself is solid as well. I do have to point out that I liked bringing back Potente, especially in as small a role as she was. I think what was also great were the doctors using the muscles to be gods at everything they did. I also really liked how well they played being junkies, as the experiments require them to shoot up endorphins to function.

One thing that really annoyed me was Metschurat. I think it is unfortunate that he was cast as the lead, because it annoyed me that pretty much at every turn he is yelling or screaming at someone. Other than that, I don’t think he was bad, but that really got on my nerves. I also didn’t find the attributes the synthetic muscles gave to be all that believable as being superhuman. We got it when they pointed it out, other than that, it seemed very normal. When they did point it out, they were way over the top too.

I would recommend giving this one a viewing only if you really liked the first one though. If not, I would say to see the first one. This one isn’t bad; it just is not as good as its predecessor. The acting isn’t as good, but it is not horrible by any stretch. The story is a little bit more cliché than the original. I will point out that this is a German film, so that is the language they speak. This one will need to be viewed with subtitles if you are not fluent in the language. I would only say to view this one if you are really into the first one and want to see the story continue on, if not there are better medical related horror films out there.

 

My Rating: 5 out of 10