Updated on December 19, 2021, 12:49 pm
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An atmospheric monastery thriller with a very secular pinch of Agatha Christie: In “Miracles There Are Always Again” Munich’s “Tatort” commissioners Batic and Leitmayr mix with nervous nuns.
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Nuns are only women with ex-husbands, a stock portfolio and dubious culinary skills: You really can’t blame him for the fact that the new “Tatort” from Munich, which this time doesn’t take place in Munich, works with clichés.
In general, one can hardly blame “miracles always happen”: Directed by Maris Pfeiffer (“SCHULD after Ferdinand von Schirach”), the new case for Franz Leitmayr (Udo Wachtveitl) and Ivo Batic (Miroslav Nemec) is an entertaining monastery thriller who uses his place of action very effectively – for atmospheric pictures, solemn sounds, pleasant horror, some spiritual wisdom and lots of brisk sayings. Perhaps too many: If something is annoying, it is just the thickly applied tactlessness with which the bon vivant Leitmayr in particular tramples between the poor nuns.
“Tatort” from Munich: The victim was poisoned and beaten
On the other hand, he’s right about his mistrust. After all, the long-time auditor of the (fictional) Dannerberg monastery is dead. On the train ride back to Munich, he just didn’t wake up. It soon turns out: he was poisoned. And previously beaten up. Not even Leitmayr believes that the nuns can strike so hard, and so the suspicion is focused on the silent caretaker of the monastery, Friedrich Neubauer (Aurel Manthei).
However, the women of God also seem quite tense: Sister Angela (Ulrike Willenbacher) takes care of the books and has a weakness for stocks – is there a motive for murder in the monastery’s finances? Sister Julia (Christiane Blumhoff) is responsible for the kitchen and herbal tea – did she perhaps brew the poison that led to death? The nervousness of the novice Antonia (Maresi Riegner) – is that the agility of the youth or does they know more than their brief answers admit? And Prioress Barbara (Corinna Harfouch), who always smiles so friendly and leads the uplifting hymns of her sisters – what is she hiding when she is not singing?
And then there are two other men in black besides Leitmayr and Batic: Monsignor Martini and Signor del Fabbro have come specially from the Vatican and seem to be investigating themselves – only nobody wants to tell the commissioners in which matter: “inside the church”.
There are no saints in the monastery
Batic and Leitmayr decide to move into two cells in the monastery for a thorough investigation. After all, it is located in a beautiful landscape, in the midst of lush meadows of the sunny foothills of the Alps. The flowers bloom, the birds chirp, and the mountains rise majestically in the background.
A little peace and quiet between venerable monastery walls has never harmed any Munich resident. The Bible is read aloud for the silent Lord’s Supper, after dinner there is an herbal tea for Batic and a schnapps for Leitmayr. It seems to be a cheerful summer comedy – until darkness falls. At night the peaceful uplifting comes to an end. Batic is tormented by nightmares, the wooden Madonnas stare menacingly, whispering and whispering in the cloister corridors. There is no escape from the blessing, especially not in this place.
Also read: A success even after 50 years – the Munich “Tatort” team explains why
The scriptwriters Alex Buresch and Matthias Pacht skillfully add one crack after another to the idyll. In charming Agatha Christie fashion, the circle of the monastery walls seems to close ever closer to the suspects. Because the skepticism of the commissioners towards the contemplative community proves to be justified: after all, it is not saints who live here – this nunnery is also reminiscent of the world of boarding school novels for girls, with very secular dramas and problems. And very determined women who are ready to defend their way of life and their living space by all means. But the sins that are committed here are far more serious.
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The “Tatort” is one of the most successful formats in Germany and has delighted viewers every Sunday for over 50 years. Several stars have already been in front of the camera for the ARD classic – including Nina Kunzendorf, who will celebrate her 50th birthday on November 10th. These actors were already “crime scene” investigators.
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