Enlightenment Guaranteed

Starring:Uwe Ochsenknecht, Gustav-Peter WÃ¶hler, Petra Zieser, Ulrike Kriener, Anica Dobra, Heiner Lauterbach, Franz X. Gernstl, Gisela Gernstl, Jimi Ochsenknecht, Wilson Ochsenknecht, Leopold Zieser, Emilia Zieser, Pierre Sanoussi-Bliss, Imaseki, Karl Neubert, Anthony Lew Shun, Enrico Boetcher, Doris DÃ¶rrie, Uwe Ochsenknecht, Gustav-Peter WÃ¶hler
Director: Uwe Ochsenknecht, Doris DÃ¶rrie
Studio: Capitol Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

fun and interesting but...
A Wonderful Little Movie
Very Funny
The film "Lost In Translation" should have been
This video will not enlighten you.

Enlightenment Guaranteed
Starring: Uwe Ochsenknecht , Gustav-Peter Wöhler , Petra Zieser , Ulrike Kriener , and Anica Dobra
Director: Uwe Ochsenknecht , and Doris Dörrie
Manufacturer: Capitol Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00006JL2T
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Customer Reviews:

fun and interesting but..........2007-04-14

...mainly for the subject matter and location. As filmcraft, it could really use much tighter editing.

HOWEVER it's really not meant to be a "film" in the traditional sense...more like a reality-TV-style travel flick, shot on video---none of the lyrical and luscious cinematography of "Lost In Translation" which is in all respects a far far superior film. Plot: two German brothers, one very much interested in Zen and the other one not, go to Japan, get lost for a few days in Tokyo without money or ID or any way of returning to their hotel where their baggage and passports are, and (unfortunately this was only maybe 1/4 of the movie) finally reach their destination: a (Soto) Zen temple.

I suppose the 3/4 of the movie which showed them wandering around the sprawling megapolis of Tokyo is on some level meant to be a metaphor for their cultural and spiritual cluelessness and disorientation as Westerners entering the culture and practice of Zen. But it did get a bit tiresome at points, and there were more than a few total implausibilities.

Oh well, nevertheless I mostly enjoyed the movie. I was usually smiling throughout, no belly-laughs though...am not a big fan of slapstick sitcome type humor and the reality-TV format didn't do much for me. What really maintained my interest in the movie was just watching street-level modern-day Japan off the beaten track. Also being a longtime Zen meditator of course helped!

A Wonderful Little Movie.......2007-02-03

This movie was a delight at many levels. One brother carefully tends his table top sand garden, carefully making the pattern flow, with attention to detail and great mindfulness. The other brother bursts in, very agitated - and unthinkingly uses it as an ash tray. The movie is rich in metaphors and can be appreciated at many levels. For those who have spent time in a Soto-Zen environment, the movie is a special delight as one can anticipate the "issues" which will arise during the time at the monastery - and it is fun to see them make the same mistakes that we have made and struggle the same way we have struggled.

A bit contrived at times and the ending, for me, was - unresolved; just like life.

Very Funny.......2006-04-25

Not meant to actually enlighten the viewer this is just a funny movie. I like the fact these people look like real people and not plastic Hollywood types.

The film "Lost In Translation" should have been .......2005-06-27

If you are one of the many people who were turned off by Lost In Translation, give this film a try. It is a story of two very different brothers who go to Japan seeking answers to - or escape from - personal issues. They not only experience culture shock, but quite literally become lost in a foreign scene and must use their own resources to find their way, first within modern Japanese society then within the traditional setting of a Zen monastery. Underneath the very funny (but not mean-spirited) situations is a very insightful look at cultural differences and the growth of individuals when presented with new experiences and ideas.

This video will not enlighten you........2004-08-26

Shot on video. In German with English subtitles.
All of the main actors first names is also the first name of the character they play.
Both Uwe Ochsenknecht and Gustav Peter Wohler were in "Am I Beautiful? (Binich schon? [1988]). Uwe Ochsenknecht was also in Das Boot (1980) English title: The Boat (1980).
Uwe plays a father. Currently all of his kids seem to be crying all the time. It is driving him nuts. He is a real estate agent. Gustav is a married man too, but his wife is a nag. he is a feng shui consultant. Uwe and Gustav are brothers. Uwe's wife has left him (well he finally has peace) and he begs Gustav to take him to the Sojij Monastery. Gustav wants to go alone because he reserved it a year ago, but relents and decides to take his brother too. Their vacation takes a turn for the worst when a taxi cab driver gets them lost.
Don't pick this film because of what you see on the cover, it has nothing to do with a bath house and really isn't about feng shui. But if you like films about travelers getting lost, may I recommend the "Out-of-Towners (1970) starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis.

Enlightenment Guaranteed (Original German language with English or French Subtitles)

Average customer rating:

Hidden Treasure

Enlightenment Guaranteed (Original German language with English or French Subtitles)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video
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Product Description

(Original German language with English or French Subtitles) Two brothers want to get their screwed-up lives together by going to Japan for a retreat in a Zen monastery. Their midlife crisis turns into a midnight crisis when they get lost in Tokyo's neon jungle and can't find the way back to their hotel. With no papers, credit cards, directions and with no Yen in their pockets, they wonder through a kaleidoscopic alien environment where the simplest everyday thing becomes a major, often comical, challenge. They never expected the Zen concept of "leaving everything behind" to be like this! Life on the monastery proves to be equally challenging. The mundane and the sublime - where does one stop and the other start? What does cleaning the floor have to do with cleansing your heart? The enigma of enlightenment continues to elude them. And yet, even if they don't fully realize it, at the very core of their being, it's changing them...

Customer Reviews:

Hidden Treasure.......2004-12-10

This is one of the best films I've seen. It's the story about 2 brothers who travel to a Zen monestary in Japan. I'm fortunate enough to own a copy and I watch it periodically. Their story about why they went, how they got there and how their experiences changed them causes me to think about how I lead my own life. The movie is easy to watch and entertaining.

Average customer rating:

Enlightenment Guaranteed - A real winner!
Living Enlightenment in everyday life
Germans don't understand comedy??
See It Twice!!
Entertainment Guaranteed!!!!

Enlightenment Guaranteed
Starring: Uwe Ochsenknecht , Gustav-Peter Wöhler , Petra Zieser , Ulrike Kriener , and Anica Dobra
Director: Doris Dörrie
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00003CYM7

Customer Reviews:

Enlightenment Guaranteed - A real winner!.......2002-07-10

This film, with German subtitles, is an exceptional piece of work. It is warm, funny, clever and has so many subtle nuances, not the least of which is a delightful look at Tokyo and Buddhist temple life, that it totally captured my heart. This film is a "must see" for anyone who calls themselves a filmgoer!

Living Enlightenment in everyday life.......2001-12-07

Encounter the east with eyes of the west!
Encounter the True Self in the course of mid- life crisis.
Rediscovering the easily forgotten secret of happy life: Being mindful and Being present in the moment.
Above all, Absoltely Funny but smiles from the deepest!
I highly recommend to you who always feel that there are something missing in your life.

Germans don't understand comedy??.......2001-09-30

I propose that that critics don't perceive subtlety. This is a great film that not only explores adult sibling relationships. but also coming-of-age as an adult (an often ignored life transition). A WONDERFUL FILM for mature viewers. If this film comes to your town, SEE IT IF YOU DARE! And, leave with a smirk of empathy.

See It Twice!!.......2001-07-20

Brothers Uwe and Gustave are so incredibly believeable as adult siblings; loving, sparing, reminiscing, hurting, they support, push, and bully one another from suffering to nirvana with the audience chuckling at every twist and turn. If you've ever thought of or tried to meditate, look for inner peace, find your spirit, or deterime what "makes the world go round", this movie was made for you.

The second viewing was even more fun as you can concentrate on the brothers expressions and mannerisms rather than the subtitles as you already know the story line, and they are well worth watching. Can't wait to have this movie in my personal collection.

Entertainment Guaranteed!!!!.......2001-06-08

An absolutely beautiful movie. Uwe and Gustav are two brothers who are in search of inner peace and enlightenment, one by choice, one out of desperation. Through a series of adventures these two brothers travel to three totally different cultures in two different countries.

Their travels take them eventually to a buddhist monastary in Japan where they live a simple, peaceful life. Through meditation and prayer, the brothers find that the things they thought they needed in their life to make them happy were exactly the things that kept them from finding true happiness.

If there is one movie that you will see this summer, make this one it! You will never forget it!

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