Product Details

• Actors: Götz George, Christian Redl, Jeanette Hain, Felix Eitner, Angelika Bartsch
• Directors: Hermine Huntgeburth
• Writers: Hermine Huntgeburth, Horst Johann Sczerba, Volker Einrauch
• Producers: Gabriele Scheld, Laurens Straub, Paul Müller
• Format: Color, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: German
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: TLA Releasing
• DVD Release Date: May 29, 2001
• Run Time: 93 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005B1WK
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,824 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Trio" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Angelika Bartsch, Christian Redl, Felix Eitner, Gotz George, Jeanette Hain, Uwe Rohde - Dir:Hermine Huntgeburth It's who's conning who as a father and daughter pickpocket team open their arms--and their hearts--to a young, bisexual drifter in this rollicking German sex comedy that proves the only crimes that pay are crimes of the heart.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A charming, unconventional comedy, July 10, 2002

By	W. Oliver "scudder" (Alabama) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

You probably won't see a film made in the U.S. in which a father and daughter are vying for the affections of the same man! This German film begins with the motley group of Zobel (played by handsome Gotz George, one of Germanys' most popular actors), his lover Karl (Christian Redi) and Zobel's daughter, Lizzie (Jeanette Hain) making their living by practicing petty crimes like picking pockets and con schemes. When Karl is hit by a car during an ill-fated scheme, Zobel and Lizzie search for a replacement. Rudolf, a cute 25-year-old gas station attendant fits the bill. But complications arise when both Lizzie and Zobel fall in love with Rudolf. Rudolf returns affections to both of his admirers, which of course soon results in numerous conflicts. This gritty comedy is infused with charm and pathos (both Zobel and Lizzie are lonely characters seeking a ray of happiness in their dreary lives). The film suffers from a weak ending that is not entirely satisfying but the film is one that is definitely recommended!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3's a crowd, May 11, 2001

By	Peter Shelley "petershelley" (Marrickville, New South Wales Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Trio [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This German film directed by Hermine Huntgeburth is like a comic spin on The Grifters but with an added sexual component. When one of the 3 petty criminals who wallet snatch using the blind man ploy is injured in a chase, a replacement is chosen from someone who had tried to steal from them and had failed. His punishment was to be stripped by the two gay male members of the team, which prefigures the sexual triangle that eventuates when both the father and his daughter are attracted to the new member. We know that when we are told the group's rule is no exchange of body fluids that it is said to be broken. Huntgeburth gets comic mileage out of who is the the aggressor in each relationship and the stolen moments of intimacy they have in fear of being discovered by the third party. The most refreshing touch is how the father (Gotz George) is established as being mean to his gay partner, yet he becomes foolish when faced with the attentions of a younger man, as if he cannot believe it possible, and the Shakespearian appearance of George emphasises him as a classically defined pathetic figure. George actually resembles a brunette and heavy-set Ralph Fiennes. The daughter probably has the least interesting role, but Felix Eitner as the boy demonstrates the bisexual trend of modern sexuality, the free sexual preference of European men, and the question of sex as duplicitious behaviour. When Eitner's pet snake is disposed of cruelly, Huntgeburth sets up an expectation for his own fate, with the snake as metaphor. The accordian music of Niki Reiser sets the tone with it's melancholy and suggestion of exotic mischief, and thankfully Huntgeburth's treatment lacks the concluding cruelty of the Stephen Frears title.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Original, June 1, 2002

By	Ian M. Enriquez "Counselor and lover of life" (San Francisco, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It is difficult to write an exciting review of this film without giving out the twists in the film, but I will say this is definitely a great film. As you already know from the plot description the three characters are romantically entangled, but the way the actors portray their emotions are definitely complex and not what the audience would expect. I disagree with an earlier reviewer about turning this into an American film. An American version will likely have a happier outcome for all four characters and place a greater emphasis on the heterosexual romance. Check out this film and take notice of who seems to be in love with who. An incredibly well directed film with complex characters whose depth is portrayed in the acting more than the actual script! Ahh, love can be so complicated...