Moonlight Tariff (2001)

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I really love this movie. I watched it for the first time by mere coincidence. And since then I have watched it 5 or 6 times. And this is despite the fact that I don't really like art-house cinema. The movie's plot is simple. A relationship between a man and a woman has been under the spotlight in so many movies. But the storytelling itself is so catchy that you are completely immersed in it. The film clearly shows all stages a woman in love undergoes - the emergence of sympathy, waiting for a call, preparing for a date, wrapping oneself over nothing, depression, and self-flagellation, unproven rumors and speculations that poison life. it's just a film about anthology of relationships! And, of course, the soundtracks! They are just gorgeous! I advise it to everyone - both men and women. One can find himself in the protagonist of the movie, the other can better understand the psychology of women, and possibly avoid common mistakes)

Well, after having seen the Metropolis and Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, I thought the Germans cannot surprise me further with great films (and those movies are ooold). Der Mondscheintarif is much newer, has nothing to do with crazy doctors, like Caligari. There is a doctor, but young and handsome, and there is Cora, fittingly surnamed Huebsch (meaning "pretty" in German). She is looking for love, she finds it and then normal rules of dating come into play. This movie is remarkable for its plot. Finally, a movie about relationships from a true woman's point of view. This woman likes single life, likes sex, fun, friends, and in light of a new relationship is dumb-founded. And this truthfulness (wonderful feature of only German films today) adds spice, flavor, chic, whatever you call it that makes a good movie great. Watch it. This IS Oscar material, but trust me, it'll never get one.

The filming is remarkably well-done. The actors are good and the story is interesting, but the camera work deserves special mention. Normally, I would say it is bad when one notices the camera work, because it must be distracting. And on the surface there are some very distracting techniques: flashes, out-of-focus areas, jitters. But I don't think that the cinematography is detrimental here. Instead it adds visual interest without interfering with the storytelling. Indeed, it even contributes to the story.

You want to know how up-to-date people live, the clothes they wear, how there flats look like? Watch "Mondscheintarif" and you will also learn how these people are caught in the rituals of their modern life, their "must"s and "mustn't"s."You must never call a man after your first night together! He has to call you!" - Young photographer Cora obeys and almost goes mad waiting. These people, so trendy, so much on top of society, cannot deal with such things as just talking to each other honestly. I find it really sad to think that there might be people who really live all these lies. So watch this movie and learn something about "How-not-to"...