Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Want to see a film that does it all, in German? This very interesting film (recommended by fellow reviewers some time ago) by Tom Tykwer, on a limited budget combines artistic film making, creative editing and sequencing, and some interesting performances of well known German actors in minor roles. The story is unique, and crosses the language barrier by having that universal quality that appeals to the young romantic in any audience.

Is it a romance, then? Well, actually it is. That is the message, which you can easily miss if you don't pay attention. The use of imagery, and repeating action sequences evokes Memento , although it was released two years before Chris Nolan's flick. It is simpler, and solves a different problem, but the layering is much the same. The impact is similar. Unlike Nolan's film, (which I also love) you should be clear about the ending.

Cinematography

You are left with a lasting image of a young red-haired woman running, and running hard, for a reason. The clock is ticking. There are long continuous shots of the running woman, following the same path, with the same people, through different sequences. However, with each of the sequences something is added, and some little thing changes that will change the end result. And in each running sequence, more texture is added to the environment, with blurring fences, and indistinct architecture, underscoring the anticipation of the next event, letting the desperation and nervous energy build. There are some telescoping shots, some split screens, and flashbacks, all identifiable by the type of photography used. Flashbacks to real expository scenes are always done in black and white, with harsh contrasts.

In the middle of the film, there are also repeating sequences of cartoon animations, which sound moronic in the telling, but which are actually very effective in connecting the segments of the running from a room, down the stairs and out the door.

The music is a driving rhythm , underscoring the running action an emphasizing the passage of time. The quieter scenes have songs that are the key to the meaning of the movie. You guessed it! They are romantic love songs, and songs you know so well you can sing along.

The story is a simple one. The problem to be solved is the focus. Written by Tykwer, who also scored the movie and directed the film, it is nevertheless rich with sub-plots and surprising character development, done in very small but effective scenes. You could go quietly crazy trying to decipher the symbolism of the row of nuns, but I think that may be too ambitious for this simple review. The actual time elapsed in this film is twenty minutes, although it is twenty minutes that replays a few times.

The surreal juxtaposition of events is one of the very interesting aspects of this movie. It all ties together so neatly in the end, that you can't help but be impressed.

The Cast

Franka Potente as Lola. Franka is known in Germany, and was recently in the movie Blow with Johnny Depp. She is the star of the movie, in every conceivable way. She runs a lot. She responds to each scenario, giving us a wider view of her personality, and her determination to make things right. She actually went to school in New York, and says she was "discovered as an actress" in the women's restroom. According to Tykwer in his commentary, she is a heavy smoker, making the running scenes a little harder. He claims that her exhaustion was an important part of her response to events. And that scream! Let's just say you won't forget it. I enjoyed her performance immensely.(She and the director are now a 'couple').

Moritz Bleibtreu as boyfriend Manni. Also an excellent actor, a young man not distinguished by Cary Grant good looks, his charm is his every day quality. He is an ordinary guy, who wants to be successful, and takes a 'short cut' into crime as a bagman in some illegal traffic of some unknown substance. His desperation is the motivation for our Lola to take action.

Herbert Knaup as Lola's father, the banker. He and another actress were nominated for "best supporting" roles, and they are also critical to plot development and the resolution of the problem. Very well done.

Nina Petri as Jutta Hansen, the father's girlfriend, also nominated for supporting actress. Her part is also pivotal in fashioning the end, as she stands as proof of her Dad's infidelity, and unreliability.

Armin Rohde as Herr Schuster-delivers the lines that begin the movie, and is well known in German audiences as a comedic actor. The lines are well known, by a local celebrity, of Soccer game fame. Also an important character: watch for him in the ambulance scene, and remember him as a "friendly".

Joachim Krol as Norbert von Au, the Bum who steals the money. His disguise was so effective no one recognized him, despite his fame in Germany. Potente stated he "smelled" bad as well, making his disguise all the more authentic.

Suzanne Von Borsady as Frau Jager -on the phone, as Lola runs out.

Julia Lindig as Doris, one of the "obstacles" on the way. Very funny.

Monika Bleibtreu as the blind woman. It is a cute in-joke that she is the mother of the hero of the story, and that she "shows" him something, without uttering a word.

The Plot

"After the game is before the game. The Ball is round . The game lasts 90 minutes. That's a fact. Everything else is pure theory."

(Attributed to Soccer coach Sepp Herberger, Soccer Coach)


Where are we going? How do we know what we think we know? Why do we believe anything at all?

Have you ever had to make a decision? One that will change your life, although you may not know it at the moment? If you have to make a decision, do you follow it as far as your imagination will let you, into the future? This whole story has that What if? quality. (What if I missed my connection to Kansas, what would I be doing in Chicago a year from now?)

Lola and Manni are young lovers, although we don't immediately know the depth of their attachment. At the beginning of the film, we are given a fast and critical exposition scene, with Manni and Lola talking on the phone.

Manni is in trouble. Lola wasn't there to pick him up, and one thing led to another and now, he has twenty minutes until the BIG boss kills him for not performing his task as ordered. He delivered a package over the border, picked up a plastic bag of cash, and then had to take a subway back. On the subway, he hastily exits, trying to avoid the police, and leaves his bag there. He can't get back on, and a street bum takes the bag. He needs 100,000 marks ($60,000 US dollars) to pay off the boss, in exactly twenty minutes.

Lola runs out to help, honing in on her banker father to help. As she passes people on the street, the future of each of these contacts is flashed. But all is not as it seems. Her father is not really her father, by birth, and he is about to run off with his pregnant girlfriend. She doesn't get the money. In this running sequence, things end badly.

Flash back to the beginning. This running sequence will occur three times, but each time, there is information given (and lessons learned), which will solve the problem for the young lovers.

You have heard enough from me. Is love enough to see them through? What do you think? There are some surprising developments, so you'll just have to check it out for yourself.

There is only one segment of the running sequence that remains constant, as an emotional anchoring for all three acts of this screen play. See if you can discern it for yourself.

Flash back to the beginning


Final Recommendation

Don't be afraid of the subtitles. If you watch it in DVD, you can always replay the scene. I have watched in 3 times and I always see something I missed the first time. You may want to listen to the commentary by the lead actress and the director, available on the DVD. The actress points out things that may have been accidental (according to Tykwer) but were nevertheless effective in adding to the richness of the imagery repeated throughout the film. Maybe Tykwer is like Hitchcock, directing with genius, but not necessarily sure why he did what he did to make a great film. Genius is rarely planned.

This is a terrific movie experience. I couldn't give it a higher recommendation!






Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older