a frenchman direct mostly german speak awkward phonetic english that just one of the problem here and but it a big one and since so many of the actor here stiltedly handle dialogue that would be problematic under ideal circumstance . the only person here who seem to have a firm grip on what he do be alan bates and who choose to play his medium mogul villain role for arch comedy . a a result and he seem to be in a different movie and so at least this one doesn not embarrass him like the luckless other performer . jennifer beals have the right droning and narcotic quality in scene where she the hypnotic face or voice of sinister advertisement and but elsewhere she have to rely on her act ability and which be limit a usual . jan niklas have apparently be excellent elsewhere and but he dreadful here a the noirishly cynical investigating hero . andrew mccarthy have exactly one brief scene a an assassin he do get special billing and but it neither a cameo or support role and just a straight up bit part ( i hope he fire his agent after this ) . many people have say this film doesn not make much sense . and i will have to take their word for it it so turgid i might well have not pay attention if or when there be element that do somehow explain thing . there an inexplicable suicide epidemic in a faintly futuristic berlin . like francois truffault before him ( in fahrenheit 451 ) and chabrol have no particular feel for sci fi or dystopian fantasy and despite ok production design . he doesn not even try to build suspense around the possibility of sudden violent death at any moment and and the death when they occur be indifferently stag . ) there be ridiculous scene in a quasi fascist quasi punk club where everyone dress in designer black while they dance like performance artist try cluelessly to imitate a mosh pit . there also one of those hysterically pretentious sex scene in which naked gyration ( beals no doubt use a body double ) be intercut with archival footage of nuclear explosion and war crime and etc . oh and the humanity . thing get even silly when the protagonist go to a bizarre resort hence the retitling club extinction that like club med meet jonestown meet the prisoner . unfortunately and the whole film be so misconceived and lifeless there little camp entertainment value to it mess . one among dr. m many misfortune be that it be film in 1989 and and the script make much of tension between wall separate east and west but of course that division have collapse by the time it come out .