I've seen this on TV today for the first time, and afterwards I thought, how odd. First let me say what I liked. I think the movie was well-acted, and well-casted. I also liked how it created its own universe - the locations fitted very well the surreal, dreamlike quality of the scenes. This is something I demand from movies, and it was done well in this one. I liked how they used the Expo site for it. What I didn't like: The ending was very predictable. At the moment Yella pulled herself out of the water and ran to the station in her wet clothes, I started to beg: Please let this not be another version of Ambrose Bierce's short story about the hanged man. Then I realized that her stalking ex-husband could only be seen by her, and I hoped: Please let this not be another Sixth Sense. Even more so, after she saw Burghart Claussner's character after his death. The red blouse became a hint that was not to be overlooked anymore - especially after she'd claimed she 'needed to buy something else to wear' and still ran around in the red blouse, after all. Well, it was the Bierce version. How innovative. And I wouldn't have minded a joke now and then. Why is it that German movies have such a hard time with being funny in spite of all the characters' problems?

Whilst there are some intelligent references towards the relationship between the former East and West regions of Germany, the film as a whole drags on far too long in what seems a never ending, repetitive cycle of tiresome and boring events. The dynamic and exciting world of business is transformed into a dull sequence of events, which constantly occur, highlighting the clear lack of ability in writing an enthralling script. The contrast in acting styles from Nina Hoss (Yella) are minimal, at several occasions looking as though it is too painful to smile. On the other hand David Striesow's (Phillip) performance attracts the attention of the viewer, and is highly commendable, in particular his swift changes in mood. However, when all is said and done Petzold's "Yella" is a film full of irrelevant references pinned under the title of "artistic licence", it would be better suited to a total running time of 30 minutes, rather than forcing the viewer to endure 86 minutes worth of scenes depicting the supposed ideals of the capitalist West. My advice is save your time and money, spend £15 on a documentary on capitalism - it'll probably be more interesting.

Films of the so-called "Berlin School" (Petzold,Arslan,Schanelec)in the last years frequently represented the German cinema at international festivals,and not with small success.Reactions were often similar:Accolades from the critics,especially those from France,while the non-professional spectators mostly were at a loss with the film because of the slow and fragmented storytelling,the long scenes without cutting,the concentration on close-ups and the staging of space.All that applies also to the new film "Yella" by Chr. Petzold,which for many was the favorite for the "Golden Bear" at the Berlinale 2007,but ended up only with a absolutely deserved "Silver Bear" for the fantastic Nina Hoss. "Yella" is some kind of finale to Petzold's "Geister-Trilogie",to which also belong "Die innere Sicherheit" and "Gespenster"; films,which are situated in a clearly outlined reality,but whose protagonists glide through their life like phantoms,unseizable and themselves unable to build a relation to the surrounding world.The story itself is quite simple and more or less superficial: Yella, living in East Germany and married to a man,whose business is near to bankruptcy, has applied for a job in West Germany and plans to leave her past life behind her.Her husband offers to drive her to the station and after having tried in vain to talk her into staying with him and starting their relationship new , he purposely drives the car through the railing of a bridge into the water.They both manage to get to the bank.Yella then disappears and takes the trip to the west.She doesn't get the promised job,but because of her knowledge of dealing with accounts and her appearance she gets the job of assistant to a specialist for venture capital.The film gives brilliant insights into the world of globalized capitalism dominated by greed, betrayal and blackmailing.Yella comes to enjoy the power and the success.It seems that she made it:A profitable job and a new man in her life.But she ruins it all by her own abnormal ambition fed by love.Well, then their is the end,which displeased so many spectators and was called pretentious, illogical or simply stuck on.But if one watches the film carefully and pays attention to all the visual and acoustic guiding themes the end is logic and convincing.A formally stern,deliberately cool and strangely mesmerizing lyrical film.By the way: It tells you more about today's German state of mind than a dozen statistical surveys.

This is one of a number of recent German films that have played in England - Mostly Martha, Goodbye, Lenin, The Lives Of Others - and Academics and failed Pseuds are starting to talk about a German New Wave which is totally misleading because unlike the French so-called New Wave these German films are actually quite GOOD and adhere to the old style of film-making, strong stories, no hand-held cameras, jump-cuts and other sloppiness. That's not to say that this entry doesn't take the odd liberty - within minutes Yella is walking through the strangely deserted streets of a large town in the middle of the day, just her and her violent ex/estranged husband. Later that same husband turns up on her doorstep where she is saying goodbye to her father prior to leaving for a new job on the other side of the Elbe when the ex turns up again and offers to drive her to the station; now both Yella and her father know that the ex is trouble but - in the equivalent of the scene where the heroine walks the corridors of the old, dark castle in the middle of the night with only a negligee and a candle for company - she meekly gets in the car, against all logic. There's an appropriate - given the denouement - surreal quality about it which shouldn't be exposed to a strong light but the metaphors mostly work and with the exception of the violent ex the acting is good quality. I doubt if it will find its audience outside Germany but nevertheless it'a a notable effort.