Katharina Thalbach in “Miss Merkel – a Uckermark thriller” on RTL. – Media

At the beginning of Miss Merkel – A Uckermark thriller After retiring to private life in Neu-Freudenstadt, the ex-Chancellor and her husband Joachim Sauer are invited to the nearest castle, where they are forced to sit out on thrones that have been dragged outside and sit through an ungainly performance, which the lord of the castle himself has committed, and get to know the family. The lord’s stepdaughter, they are taught, is a successful influencer, and the husband starts: “The influenza…” But he doesn’t get any further. “Achim, no jokes,” Angela Merkel blurts out.

Yes, yes. Please more jokes. The film adaptation of David Safier’s thriller about the former chancellor as a hobby detective is like being served Kobe beef boeuf bourguignon where the chef unfortunately forgot the salt. Even the best ingredients don’t help. Bland stays bland.

David Safier’s idea of ​​having the former chancellor start a third career as Miss Marple in the provinces is actually pretty, although perhaps it came a little too quickly after Merkel’s retirement from politics. Safier wanted to go into series production with the detective novel from the start, volume two, “Miss Merkel: Murder in the Cemetery” has just been published, the books are bestsellers – so the first one might not be the last film adaptation. In the case of the lords of the castle, Christoph Schnee is directing and Katharina Thalbach is playing Miss Merkel. Who else would be suitable for this – she did the Guttenberg satire with her interpretation of the chancellor ten years ago The minister rescued. Thorsten Merten, who otherwise, for example, in Murmel Clausen’s very funny Weimarcrime scenes belonged to the regular crew, plays “Achim” and has exactly the appropriate dry joke. Unfortunately, after visiting the castle, he leaves for a conference and isn’t even there, while the ex-chancellor finds the dead lord of the castle (Thomas Heinze), destroys the local commissioner’s suicide theory and tries to set her bodyguard up with the village policewoman.

That could develop charm, but even the best idea cannot be relied on in feature film length – the plot that Miss Merkel uncovers is boring (inheritance disputes in the lord’s family). The dialogues lack any bite, which is downright astounding, because the script was written by Stefan Cantz, who wrote the Münstercrime scenes conceived – either Miss Merkel – A Uckermark thriller is not his best work, or his screenplay has been de-witted. It’s not funny per se when a former chancellor disappears behind a tree while taking a walk with her husband and pug to pee. Not even when she’s played by Katharina Thalbach.

Miss Merkel – A Uckermark thriller on RTL+.

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