Errors of the Human Body (2012)

This is not an epic or perfect movie. It isn't The Dark Knight or The Revenant. It is a sci-fi thriller, for the most part, I would say. It even has some goofy sci-fi parts that I could see would lower its rating. People will also complain because it is a German movie with a German actress. But I think that makes it even better. There are no big name actors that are world renowned, but the actors in this movies do a great job. Never once was I bored or not entertained, they actors told a great story the whole time. I even think the German actress made the movie even better by just being abnormal to what American audiences typically see; she made me think differently about what was going on. All the characters were unique and really made this movie what it is. The whole concept of the movie wasn't anything too mind blowing. But it did have a good plot twist or two. This movie isn't the quality of the mainstream mega movies, but it is a hidden gem that movie lovers, philosophers, and scientists alike will truly enjoy. This

What a surprise. Very impressive and very Cronenbergian.This movie is excellent in almost every aspect, except for the plot that isn't very strong (but has a good ending).Excellent cast (all unknown to me, except for an old Rik Mayall in a dramatic role), cinematography, score, direction, practical effects and makeup. Great filming locations and atmosphere. Very impressive acting by the lead actors (Mayall is also great).It's too bad that the plot is not strong enough, otherwise I would have given it a higher score. Still, I give it credit for all the elements above, the originality and risks they took and the high quality result.

Some renowned but traumatized geneticist named Burton takes a job in Germany to establish some research lab there. We learn that his son was born with multiple cancers that developed in a matter of days and killed him. The disease came to be known as Burton's disease. His wife has already someone else in her life but he can't get over her. He's a complete wreck.At the institute he runs into Rebekka, a former student who surprises him with some remarkable news. She's developed an easter egg gene that re-generates tissues in amphibians. She cuts one in half and it starts uniting again. But she needs him to help her make the jump to mammals. But they also had a fling in the past.Also at the lab is another creepy researcher named Jarek who's also interested in Burton helping him. He wants to develop a mutation so that mosquitoes carry vaccines instead of viruses thus immunizing those they bite, instead of infecting them. It would be a great way to get eliminate diseases like malaria, so common in poor countries where mosquitoes abound. But because he's so creepy, acting more like a stalker, Burton doesn't want anything to do with him. But this guy is also experimenting on mice.Burton gets closer to Rebekka, who initially makes it clear that she wants the relationship to remain professional. One night he goes to her lab to leave a note. Instead he finds someone breaking into her lab and stealing a sample. He follows the guy to the mice lab where Jarek is. He uses the sample to inject a mouse. Burton decides to wait and later takes the mouse home with him and also one of Rebekka's many samples that Jarek has in the fridge.When Burton talks to the institute's director about the theft of Rebekka's work, he finds out that Jarek and Rebakka were research partners and that the easter egg discovery was a joint effort. From there on, Burton starts getting paranoid. He thinks he's being set up or used for some sinister purposes. He keeps calling his wife but now she won't talk to him. He keeps having visions of her pregnancy and the birth of the baby. While handling the mouse, it ended up biting him. He eventually ends up confronting everyone but his fate is sealed.Errors of the Human Body is a fantastic title for a movie. And the movie starts out strong giving you high hopes. But things don't at all turn out the way you hope. And that is unfortunate. The movie really takes us in a direction we don't want to go. One problem is the Burton character. He's too much of a wreck to root for. You sympathize with a him a bit, but not enough. So he makes a terrible lead character. Then there the Jarek character who's downright charicaturesque in his creepiness.The story is solid, if not excellent. And I'm giving this movie high marks for the science and the ideas. The problem is the execution. I did like the attention to detail, the little things, but overall a near fatal flaw of the movie is the European pace reduced almost to slow-motion. The movie isn't long but it feels like it's a 3 hour movie.While filmed in Dresden, a photogenic city, we get to see nothing of it. And as usual for something filmed in Germany, it's during winter. Are German actors banned by law from working when the sun shines? By their movie and TV productions, you would think that Germany suffers from an eternal winter.I'm rating this movie a bit higher than it deserves, for the main reason that it doesn't treat the audience like morons but gives it a lot to think about, and it does so until the very end.

I honestly cannot understand why this movie is currently rating so low at IMDb. In my opinion it is one of the most intriguing and original thrillers I have seen in many years. In some ways it is quite unique in that while at first it seems like a Cronenbergian body horror film, it turns out to be a "horror of the emotions" in which good intentions certainly do lead the well-meaning characters to their own especially cruel versions of hell.Michael Eklund and Karoline Herfurth were absolutely terrific, diving into their roles with 100% commitment. And Rik Mayall was a revelation in the first serious role I've seen him play.To me this is an amazing feature debut for writer/director Eron Sheean, most definitely a talent to be watched.I hope people can overlook the low rating and give this film a chance because I feel it certainly deserves the attention of discerning cinephiles.