Horst in Translation ([email protected]) "Die Herbstzeitlosen" is a Swiss film from almost 10 years ago that deals with a bunch of old ladies and their unusual business enterprise in the lingerie industry. These 90 minute were also Switzerland's submission to the Academy Awards that year, but the film did not even make it to the shortlist of the 9 best movies. And I can see why. Bettina Oberli, who wrote and directed this, does not succeed in including credible character development in here. Instead she goes for easy jokes that add nothing to the movie in a credible way. The worst example was probably when some young women randomly took of their clothes near the end to display that they were wearing the old ladies' underwear brand. Now that was truly embarrassing moment and totally cringeworthy. Like taken straight out of one of these horrible romantic movies for television that keep getting made so frequently here in Germany.The whole premise is already only partially working. All the anger and annoyance in the town was too far over the top to be realistic. They were opening a lingerie store and not a brothel. The whole "travelling to America" story was intended to make an emotional impact, but it wasn't working for me at all. The drama was pretty forgettable as well and that includes even a death of one of the central characters. One of the few good things in this film was Stephanie Glaser's nomination. She plays her part well and certainly elevates the mediocre material most of the time. Good for her that she got the Swiss Film Award nomination and she may have won the category if there had been one for males and one for females. However, apart from her turn, there is really not too much to praise. Basically, all the characters were written uninterestingly, in a way that you do not really care for their fate. And the inclusion of the son's troubles with his mother's new business, while he himself has an affair going is completely generic and not smart at all. The ways in which we are supposed to really like nobody except the main character(s) are examples of pretty poor writing I have to say. Not recommended and it's a sad state of affairs if a film like this is considered among the best films from Switzerland in recent years.

Mike Caccioppoli Bettina Oberli's endearing and charming film will bring a smile to those who watch it. It's a cheeky tale charmingly told, assisted by that lilting Swiss-German dialect. Trub, a small village in the Emmmental Valley in Switzerland's Berne canton, is the backdrop to the story and the picturesque shots of its meadows and pastureland can only help add to the film's adorability.Said to be one of the best films ever to come out of Switzerland, it will never achieve Hollywood greatness nor are any of its stars likely sex symbols. Nevertheless, "Die Herbstzeitlosen" is one of the reasons why we are grateful Seattle has such a large and international film festival. Gentle, funny, and the wonderful cinematography and superb acting will only reflect credit on the Alpine nation's film industry. "Die Herbstzeitlosen" is Switzerland's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008).

WILL please, please, just release it in the USA with sub-titles. i saw it in Germany when it opened, and while i couldn't understand the dialogue very well, it was enough to enjoy the film.......immensely.And there is so much intonation and color in the language it adds to the feeling and the artistic quality. This film is so good it should not get a Hollywood remake for a long time , if ever.too bad the swiss and deutschers don't offer English subs for their homegrown produce. but in the long run that's their problem. at this point it has my vote for the best foreign film Oscar.I would put this in the category of small films that really pack a punch. harold and maude, la strada, delicatessen, and a couple of the bill forsyth films come to mind. The picture of swiss small time life is priceless and , from my own several visits there, seems to be on the money.

b-peter Months after the death of her husband Martha decides to die: She puts on her most festive dress and lies down on her bed, the photograph of her beloved on her chest. But alas, she wakes up the next day, in best health, but late for church. She decides to make a change and - encouraged by a friend - makes an old dream come true - her very own shop for lingerie. But Martha lives in a small village AND is the mother of the village priest ...Originally this wonderful little gem was planned for Swiss television only, thank God some people realized what a shame that would have been and "Die Herbstzeitlosen" was brought to the cinema. The acting is great, and it would be difficult to imagine a better "Martha" than Stefanie Glaser - who by the way is even older than her film character and had never before played the lead in a feature film for the cinema. As far as I know there are talks about a remake for the US - what a surprise - but anyone who has the chance to see the original should take it. This is a film with a very heartwarming, uplifting story with enough humor and true characters to keep it from turning sugary.