Customer Rating:  
Summary: Strong movie but.....
Comment: Yes, the storyline is compelling, the music score is beautiful, and the set is suitable. However, it is not a well-done movie. It seems all the characters in the movie are obsessed with Jenny for one reason or anothert, but Jenny manifests extreme violence towards others and is always very angry(those who are obsessed include the piano teacher, the jailers, psychiatrist, the journalist from der spiegel no less, the father, the fellow inmates, etc.). At no time in the movie one feels sympathetic to Jenny, and one would care less about her piano talent when she beats up her way including almost killing a very nice prison guard who was pleading with the teacher to accept her as a pupil. And then when the teacher does take jenny and devotes herself to helping her, the teacher only gets snarls and animosity from jenny, and at one point Jenny violently assaults the teacher and hits her on the forehead head.. Oh this murderous Jenny who has a talent for music!! There is something missing in this movie that the teacher's focus was only on the music talent of Jenny and she would never engage Jenny beyond that point. Towards the end of the movie, the teacher speaks to jenny with authority to get her to participate in the competition. But we are not convinced why such a stubborn, hard-headed, very angry, violent girl suddenly changes her mind and agrees to participate. Why waste 120 minutes just to get to the point where jenny accepts and changes in a jiffy? And why? because the piano teacher spoke to her nicely but firmly about her future.
The concert at the end where Jenny is applauded in the deutsche opera haus is well-acted and deserves stars. However, I did not like this movie.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A riveting story, superbly performed
Comment: Traude Kruger taught piano at a women's prison for more than sixty years. But her inmate Jenny, a convicted killer with a history of beating people for simple amusement, is unique. Once a great musical talent she could be trained to participate in and wine a prestigious piano contest -- despite her prison sentence. Traude's problem is how to inspire Jenny to act out with her music rather than her fists. "Four Minutes" is a riveting story, superbly performed, and the conclusion is truly memorable. The German with subtitles DVD format is enhanced with such bonus features as the Theatrical Trailer, a Widescreen Presentation, Dolby 2.0 Audio sound. Total Running Time: 112 minutes; full color.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Super story
Comment: What a masterly film! What a shock! The viewer is taken to trippes at heart and shaken in all directions. This film is exceptional. To let be yourself more engrossed by such a film would probably be too much for the nerves, both the intensity is violent, acute, sharp.
How to succeed in giving birth to a prison friendship between two women who have nothing in common except a true passion for the piano with a lot of patience, tenacity and tolerance is btilliantly shown in this film ? What a superb story!
The viewer is not indemn from such a projection. The final "four minutes" of the film is dazzling.
It is a great film issued by the German cinema that never ceases to surprise us with happiness ( "Good-bye Lenin!" Good Bye, Lenin!, "The Lives of Others" The Lives of Others).
Customer Rating:
Summary: Stunning film making!
Comment: I saw this at a film festival and it is amazing! This film is about a young woman prisoner who has very real talent as a pianist. The elderly lady who teaches piano to inmates at the prison recognizes her talent and wants to enter her in a prestigious competition, but must break through the young woman's anger and defensiveness to get her even interested in going to the competition. Along the way, both individuals slowly reveal more of themselves and their lives to each other and we get more insight into what makes them tick. Added to these award-winning performances is the truly amazing ending of the film -- the last four minutes -- that leaves you absolutely blown away! What can I say... you must see this.
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