Miss Daisy und ihr Chauffeur

Dieser Film verhält sich so wie die Autos, an deren Steuer hier der supersympathische Chauffeur Morgan Freeman sitzt. Er startet und fährt, fährt und fährt. Er hat es nicht eilig. Das Wichtigste ist, dass er sich nach vorne bewegt. Alle sind zufrieden. Am Anfang waren zwar manche Passagiere ein bisschen misstrauisch, aber dann meckern sie nicht mehr, weil sie eigentlich keinen Grund dafür haben. So wie Miss Daisy können auch die Zuschauer*innen froh sein, dass sie fahren. Sie können die Landschaft beobachten, der Musik von Zimmer und Dvořák lauschen und die nette, von der Akademie preisgekrönte Fahrt genießen. Sie ist nicht überraschend, weil sie sich genau an die bekannte Landkarte hält. Andererseits werden aber die Zuschauer*innen nicht emotional erpresst – der Film streichelt ihre Seele, er besänftigt sie und strahlt Wärme aus. (19.11.2011)

A positive, heartfelt feel-good movie about a millionaire prude grandmother and her eternally positive personal driver who find their way to each other across personality, opinion and gender differences. A predecessor of The Green Book, which, unlike its successor, is only lightly, marginally focused on the race issue, the creators rather focus on the relationship between two typologically completely different people living completely different lives and their inevitable confrontation in a number of different model situations. The result is good enough. Fortunately the runtime is not excessive, so the ending arrives when it's just right. It is definitely worth mentioning the strong central duo and the very good make-up effects for the time. (17.08.2022)

I’m not gonna lie; even an out-and-out cynic like myself will occasionally indulge in a cultural experience. I do peek out of my protective shell once in a while to enjoy a film that isn't entirely flawless, feels somewhat naïve, but definitely has something going for it. I have, of course, seen many a utopian variation on the interracial friendship trope, but this particular film sits well with me. Sure, the premise is a cliché, only it’s not about romantic love but segregation. But even though I’m fully aware of that, I can't help but enjoy it. I like the performances, but the best thing is that it has an incredibly human touch. I'm also intrigued by how there is an underlying theme without having to make it blatantly obvious. There are hints here and there which get the message across to at least a moderately bright viewer. That's not the way it's done anymore. And that's why I love this film. It’s a wonderfully human story without declamations of constantly heard phrases. / Lesson learned: I don't like Americans, but they sure made awesome cars. (30.09.2022)

A film that is simply about how old age isn't always pleasant, but it's just a part of life. It's enough to have someone with whom you can experience old age. It doesn't matter who it is, as long as we get along with them. This pairing is beautifully mismatched, but most importantly, it's delightfully acted. Morgan Freeman was in incredible form here. (14.11.2016)