12 Winters (4 Stars)

This film is based on a true story. In 1984 the two petty criminals Mike Roth and Klaus Starck meet in prison. In 1990 they meet again on the outside. Together they devise a way to rob banks without getting caught. Every winter they rob three banks in different parts of Germany. Always banks in small villages. By making relatively small robberies at long intervals they remain "under the radar". The police don't realise it's a crime series and don't connect them. After all, in Germany there are 300 bank robberies a year, so why should these three be attributed to the same gang?

A fascinating film. The scenes with the police investigation run slowly, but that's normal. This is a true story. Outside of the movies police work is rarely exciting, it's a dull daily routine, slowly putting clues together. The scenes with the two robbers are rather touching. I grew to know them during the film, and more than that, I grew to like them. They are both very pleasant characters, and I booed when the police finally caught up with them.

The film has only been released in Germany, but it has English subtitles.