Transfer (2010)

You won't be disappointed!

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Transfer (2010, Germany) is destined to be one of those obscurities that shows up in the discount DVD pile... assuming they have DVDs in the future. The premise is simple: a rich old German couple have their minds transferred into gorgeous young black bodies so they can continue their life and love. The wrinkle is that the original occupants are not purged, but awaken each night for four hours to live their own lives in the midst of their German host lives. Is this a prison or an opportunity? Excellent acting (and cool futuristic architecture - go Berlin!) is what carries this film. We truly believe the older couple are deeply in love, can understand their decisions, and their misgivings. As we get to know the couple from Africa (Sarah from Ethiopia, Apolain from Mali) we understand their motivations and frustrations. The clever aspect is having four characters play out their drama in only two bodies.Unfortunately the film is too slow for the content. There are too many scenes that do little to advance the narrative. The resolution seems obvious and rather perfunctory. And it has a cold brutality that doesn't fit with the warm vibes the four principal actors have conjured. (Though Jeanette Hain is icy blue and otherworldly.)I found the soundtrack rather repetitive and sometimes inappropriate. I kept getting the feeling Transfer was trying too hard to be Gattaca (right down to the unnecessary music recital scene). There are also problems with the ADR that makes me wonder if dialogue wasn't changed in post.Though Transfer is an intelligent film in a world of rubbish SF, it could have been so much more. I will generously give it a 7, since such efforts should be encouraged.

***This one has Spoilers*** Watched this movie and i am not sure what to make of it... In short, Poor black people are offered the chance to let old rich white people take over their bodies by means of transferring the minds of the white folks. The people involved, black and white, are given a contract and if agreed mind transfer takes place voluntary. The minds of the black people is allowed the take over for 4 hours at night. The hosts fall in love to the very dislike of the white peoples minds. Herrmann, the old white guy, describes this as. "While we sleep, Herrmann and Anna, those Ni**ers f*ck with each other..." So Sarah, the host woman, gets pregnant. Now this is also disliked by Apolain, host body to Hermann's mind.Here already is the first question for me. If this should become reality, shouldn't it be made sure that racism isn't an issue? Now Anna/Sarah stops taking her medication so Sarah can speak during the day with Herrmann, which they then stop taking altogether later in the movie.The hosts, Apolain and Sarah, forge a plan to escape all this. Also if the medication isn't taken the host mind seems to prevail during the day.The movie has taken a turn for the ridiculous and all it seems to amount to and serves is, an exercise in intellectual masturbation.The movie to me portrays just another form and new way of slavery. After all, in this movie, poor humans from third world countries are exploited so that white rich people may extend their lives. It utterly escapes me at which point this movie is meant to be intellectual stimulating.Moving on, Hermman and Anna are running into problems because they are now black. Hermann is being told that members of his sports club are complaining about his appearance. What did he expect? Sarah gets complexes about her baby, will it be hers or Anna's... ? Later in the movie...Sarah/Anna still pregnant, goes to Menzana, the company which transfers the minds, with Hermann. There they are shown how their child will look like. Anna throws in the question who's child it will be. And they have to make up their minds, because the next day the three months are up. At which point the original bodies will be cremated. Next day they return and sign the documents. Both haven't taken their medication. So Sarah compliments Dr. Menzel (or Mengele?) about the sculptures on her table. Same compliment was given by Anna in the beginning. Thus they are being found out, also the company installed security cameras in their home and of course witnessed them not playing ball. Big fuss ensues from Apolain how evil the company is, bla bla. Bearing in mind that all four involved had been fully informed what is going down on them.In the end. The minds are being transferred back to Hermann and Anna. Host Bodies are being restored to before, baby is being aborted, company wins. Hermann doesn't quite make it and dies during or after the transfer. Anna, which has cancer survives him. I suppose that is the twist in the movie...While there is definitely potential in the story it, it could have been better if the portrayal of the technology would have been more on the positive side of things. E.g. Person born with blindness or other crippling conditions would be able to use a healthy body.All this drivel achieves is showing the ignorance of the characters of the white rich people, the willingness of those people/characters to enslave other bodies for their benefit, the oldest sins committed in the newest ways, and drivel is set in a country which should know better to start with, but then what country could be better? The acting is fine to me. Purely the premise is rubbish to me, with that 1 star.Maybe i'm taking this with a to realistic view on things portrayed in this movie? But I am wondering, if a movie would be made about the bodies of Jews being used by German minds, if people would find it equally stimulating as said here? Somehow doubt it though.It can only be hoped that this stays science fiction.

This is a low-budget German movie with English subtitles. It was dubbed in French but not in English for some reason. In an undisclosed future time, very rich old people can transfer their minds to new healthy bodies. It turns out that the best candidates are black people. It's apparently a voluntary process since the company gives money to the poor black volunteers, which will be sent to their families. Also, the bodies get back their original minds for 4 hours each night. We follow an old white couple, very much in love, going through this process. At first we see their adaption to their new younger black bodies, including rich white society, with interludes as their bodies regain their own minds at night. The focus shifts more on the younger "minds" as it goes along.This is not a flashy movie with special effects by any means. This world resembles very much our own except the slightly more futuristic company. Even the transfer process is extremely minimalistic and not really shown. It's not a comedy, and it keeps a serious tone throughout despite opportunities for silly mischief when the old people get "young". It's more of an intimate social drama designed to make you think. It tackles racism, capitalism, medical ethics and what a soul is, but in mostly subtle ways. I thought the acting was fine (with the exception of the blond guy at night), but not outstanding. The main black actor was probably the stand-out because of his charismatic presence. I found the story interesting, I didn't know what was going to happen, but it didn't really grab me emotionally as melodrama was tightly restrained. To be honest, the movie felt a bit cold and definitely not like a typical American movie. I almost forgot to mention the original classical music soundtrack that was surprisingly good and sometimes added much-needed emotion. I liked watching Transfer, it's worth watching if you're into slow-placed intellectual sci-fi (with no effects), but I would not buy it. On my DVD, there were no special features.Rating: 6.5 out of 10 (good)

This movie played at the Vancouver International Film Festival and was a welcome gem to the many films submitted. There are always a few movies that get some attention at these festivals but Transfer definitely stands out as a true representation of a science fiction film that makes you think. This picture deals with the issue of people using clones / avatars / humanoids as a product in a capitalistic world where everything can be bought in the near future. Also the director tackles the idea that surrounds buying people that are another race and how the lives they left behind deal with the new black neighbours walking in their clothes at the country club every day. The characters in this movie are excellently portrayed and have a lot of feeling put into their actions around the situation of talking over a new host, and get complicated quickly. Damir talked about his film after the screening and wants people to think about the idea of the soul being tied to the physical body. Also examined the concept of being able to purchase every thing including new bodies after ours expire. This film is a must for SciFi enthusiasts. It is a polished independent picture that was made with minimal money feels like it has the heart of Gattaca and something written by Philip K. Dick.