Mr. Kretschmann holds your attention through each whining complaint and bland denial. His character may be banal, but his portrayal is the only thing that keeps you watching.

Robert Young's well-intentioned dramatic re-enactment is burdened by sepia-period accessorizing, laborious flashbacks, spurious comparisons, and the downright bizarre casting of Franka Potente and Stephen Fry.

Dry, detached and mechanical.

Sincere, handsomely produced rendition of real-life encounter...amounts to an engaging drama seasoned by a dollop of soft-core titillation. History buffs, especially, among the upscale art-house crowd won't be disappointed.