Anatomy

For sheer cheap thrills, the opening sequence of Anatomy is promising: As the credits run, hands caress a naked female body, reach its bare breasts, then cut deeply into them with a scalpel. Pull back to reveal a cadaver in a medical school class. All at once, you've been given sex, violence, and shock value. Alas, things rapidly go downhill as soon as the characters open their mouths and we realize that this German import has been horribly dubbed (mysteriously, only one character retains a German accent). It's especially egregious when applied to lines of dialogue like, "Don't worry Connie, those red spots are only pubic lice. You'll be fine." As for the plot of the movie, it's a straightforward Hollywood-style hybrid: Extreme Measures meets The Skulls. Run Lola Run star Franka Potente, looking much cuter with naturally colored hair, is Paula, a brilliant medical student sent to the University of Heidelberg, where she uncovers evidence of a secret fraternal society of doctors who have no problem with the idea of dissecting live bodies. Director Stefan Ruzowitzky (The Inheritors) has a great visual sense: Standout sets include an all-stainless steel operating room and a hall of plasticized medical experiments gone wrong. And the fact that some of the scenes manage to retain their suspense despite the moronic and out-of-place American voices is also a testament to Ruzowitzky's ability. It's impossible to recommend this particular version of the film, however -- especially since Potente can in fact speak English but was apparently not consulted in this case -- but if you can find a video store with a subtitled copy, it may be worth a look.