I Am Guilty

2005
6.2| 1h34m| en
Details

Armin Steeb is adrift: just finished with school, living with his middle-class parents, clueless about finding work. He tries connecting with a girl, he engages in risky sex with strangers in public toilets, he goes to job interviews. He also sends an anonymous letter to a local Munich newspaper, claiming responsibility for a fatal road accident. He fitfully pursues notoriety as he goes through life nearly without affect. What will it take to get Armin to smile?

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Reviews

Nonureva Really Surprised!
CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
guitarchick4 This film is disturbing because you are not clear what actually happened and what was imagined. If some of the events did occur, then the film is a disturbing commentary about some young people in today's society. This film is not a typical Hollywood style film because the film moves at a slower pace, the plot is not clearly defined and the ending does not resolve the film. But there are some darkly comic moments and there is good acting.Armin Steeb comes from a nice middle class family and lives in a nice middle class neighborhood. Armin is fresh out of college and applying for jobs, but he appears bored and aimless. His parents have high hopes and expectations for him but maybe that is part of his problem?? His parents and society have these expectations of Armin, but maybe he is unsure how to be what is expected of him. Perhaps he does not want the life that his parents or society believes he should want. The usual routine is get into a good college, get a good job, find a life partner, have a family of your own, and the cycle repeats. His older brother has fulfilled the expectations of his parents; therefore, they are worried about Armin's lack of direction. Armin appears to want excitement and notoriety, perhaps this is why he confesses to a crime that he did not commit.Haven't you met people or heard about people who supposedly came from nice middle class families, who went to college but later were a disappointment to their families? In every family, there are the usual success stories but there is always that one in the family who everybody wonders what happened with them? This is why I did like the film in spite of it's weak points because it shows a period in a young person's life that we have all experienced at some point. At some point you have to leave college and your parents home to decide who you are and what you want. Perhaps Armin feels ill prepared to face his life.
gradyharp 'Falscher Bekenner' ('I Am Guilty') is a strange little film that seems to beg our indulgence in looking at and pondering the state of mind of our newly graduated college youths who have had everything provided for them to prepare for life - and are clueless as to how to begin fitting into the world. Writer and director Christoph Hochhäusler appears to have a rather bleak look at this generation - or is it the generation that produced the 'new adults' that he is questioning? Armin Steeb (Constantin von Jascheroff) is a good-looking young fresh college graduate living with his doting parents (Manfred Zapatka and Victoria Trauttmansdorff) who are concerned about Armin's inertia about supporting himself. They assist him in applying for jobs, prepare him for job interviews, and obviously love him and wish for his happiness. Armin is bored: he can barely tolerate the entire family's normalcy, longing for something to light a fire in his life. While walking alone one night he encounters a wrecked automobile containing a dead driver and while he stops to inspect, he soon moves on carrying with him a metal object from the site of the accident. Out of boredom he writes to the police that he is responsible for the accident of what happens to have been the demise of a public official. He takes the found metal object to the police station then leaves without identifying himself.Armin continues fruitless job interviews but also spends time in front of the glow of his computer monitor having fantasies: we see him defiling public roadside restrooms with graffiti, having bizarre physical liaisons with motorcycle men, and hurtful encounters with love interest contenders. Are these real or are they the products of an unfocused mind that wants more to life than the humdrum day job? Eventually Armin is arrested for his confessed 'crime' - or is he? We are left not knowing how much of what has been on the screen is imagined and what is real.Christoph Hochhäusler knows his craft: he creates atmospheres that suggest the burring of a mind in flux, he paces his tale well, and he directs a strong cast fluently. While many may view this experimental film with disgust, that may be one of the goals of Hochhäusler. Perhaps he is holding a mirror to the quality of life we have created in the 21st century for our young people who have been raised in an unstructured environment. In retrospect the ennui created here may be a more pointed existentialist statement than we at first recognize. In German with English subtitles. Grady Harp
avanineglect I saw this movie at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival. I did end up being somewhat disappointed because this movie sounded somewhat like last year's "Quiet as a Mouse" (which has yet to be released in the US, or anywhere with subtitles!) but it turned out to be a lot more confusing. It seemed to be very drifting and vague, with no central plot, and the 'startling ending' wasn't so startling at all. As the final scene ended and the credits came up, the audience cried out collectively. No one had expected it to end with such a little whimper, no bang at all.However, the fantasy sequences were entertaining and the acting was great, so I would still give this movie a 6 out of 10, and see it again in hopes to understand it better...
johno-21 I saw this film at the 2006 Palm Springs International Film Festival. I don't understand how they take titles of films from foreign countries and change the title for American audiences. The distributors took Falshe Bekenner which I guess would translate into False Confessions and changed it to Low Profile. This is a disturbing story about a bright but bored and troubled teen named Armin who comes from a loving family. There is a lot happening in this movie that may have different meanings and you are left wondering about several things. What is real and what is imagined. What did Armin do and what didn't he do. I couldn't figure out why he is so troubled or why he is rebelling when his parents seem like very caring and loving people. This is a very interesting story and is very stylized with a great sound. I would give this a 7.0 out of 10 and would like to see it again.