"Der verlorene Bruder" or "The Lost Brother" is a German television film from 2015, so over five years old now, and a triple-digit amount of votes here on imdb for a small screen release from my country is nothing that should be taken for granted, so this film is far from forgotten. I caught it not too long ago as it aired on German television once more. The subject is history (to some extent) and I will get to that later. Let's focus first on all the basic aspects here. TThe running time of 1.5 hours or minimally under is really completely common for German television films and this one here is no exception either. The director is Matti Geschonneck and he is almost 70 now and has directed over 50 projects over the course of his long career. And received a great deal of awards recognition too and seems as if retirement is not even close to his agenda these days. His film here was written by Ruth Toma, a very prolific screenplay writer and the original novel comes from Hans-Ulrich Treichel and this is (according to imdb) the only work from him that got turned into a movie. As for the cast, we have a handful familiar faces here. The biggest may be Charly Hübner and he is always a welcome inclusion for me, also this time with a movie role that offered zero in terms of comedic approach, especially his very serious character that kinda reflected the times back then too. But Lorenz, Matschke and Gastdorf are also successful and prolific actors. I personally even appreciate the fact that Flora Thiemann and Anne Brendler were a part of this, even if the latter really did not have any screen time at all.
As for the story, I already stated that the historic component is among the most crucial aspects this time. The film is set approximately 15 years after the end of World War II and Germany is divided of course. So you could say that it is a mix of GDR and Nazi Germany, even if neither component feels 100% crucial this time. It's more of a family drama, but the people at the center of this movie and their past with the lost child takes us even further back into history than the days where it is set, which is also over 60 years back in the past from the now. But while there are serious aspects about a lost child as the title implies, there are also slightly lighter moments like the protagonist's unrequited(?) romantic interest in a girl his age. And at the same time, the boy's mother also has a suitor and it is not really safe to say if her husband's death is a good or bad twist from this perspective. I mean there was no real violence or anything grave in their marriage, but it really felt as if it was just thier missing child which was the key link that kept the marriage together and the new suitor expressed actual romantic interest in the woman. Of we go back to the boy and his crush, I am a bit undecided if I liked this inclusion and how much I liked it. The attention to detail could have been better like the girl cheering for him to distract him (was that really what was on her mind?) was a bit exaggerated and felt rather unrealistic, also how the protagonist perceived it, but I guess this also could have been in the novel like this, so I would not blame the film entirely here. Their latter meeting was solid though, the way they were going for a walk there and also what they were talking felt realistic from my perspective and especially children dialogue is something that many (German) films really fail hard with, so props to the filmmaker and Treichel here for delivering authentic content.
It is certainly not the most uplifting film, but there it also felt authentic. I am mostly talking about the moment Hübner's character dies. It did not feel like pseudo drama from any perspective and this is one of the key reasons why this film deserves three stars out of five. There were still weaknesses here and there like for example the plot inclusion with the other boy at the barber shop felt fairly random and they could have made a lot more with that and their little plan, but eventually nothing really stays in the mind other than their little talk about how they think about their parents acting towards them and what it would be like with another child in the family. And the resilient barber there was slightly memorable too. The actor sure made the most of his little screen time there with his face expression only. The ending also hit the right notes. Yes, I mean it was maybe slightly too much pathos how he is 100% sure the young man would be his brother, but I liked the inclusion nonetheless. It was slightly happy, but not exaggerated and also offered an open ending component and I usually like that in films. As long as it feels realistic, I do not need closure 100%. Again props to the author of the original work because this is probably the way his book ended and I am sure there is not really the need for a sequel in terms of either book or film. It is fine the way it is. The film surely and the book I have not read, so I cannot say it with certainty, but I think it's fine to leave things the way they are in this case. One scene that stayed in the mind for me was also when we saw them in the process of delivering their footprints and also all the elaboration that followed a little later. But there, they once again did not hit the right mark 100% with the main character's doubt f these two, both of them, are really his biological parents. So there is always a bit of a "but" to this movie you could say, also in its best moments.
Overall, they went by the books here in the truest sense of the word and the outcome is accordingly. Nothing too daring or out of the ordinary, but a solid addition to the uncountable amount of movie out there from my country that deal with historic context. It's not really a historic movie, but it still feels like one with the background where it is set and inclusions like the one with how the protagonist is never fully on photos you will find in many movies. They actually felt not as smart or memorable as they were intended honestly, at least the way they were depicted here. So i think this surely could have been a better film too. Nonetheless, on other occasions, some of the stuff worked better. I personally of course preferred most of the stuff when Hübner was a part of the action. Then again, I guess that almost everybody has a different perception. Some people may like Gastdorf's character, other may find her pointless. I thought she was realistic as she was unlikable, but then again we should keep in mind that her life was packed with two World Wars, also a bit of a tragic character. This is far from a light movie. Take a look at the not very specific inclusions about what the ASoviets did to the central character's mother a few years ago. We basically find out about it the way the child does. It's not an obscene or graphic movie in terms of tragedy, but the terrible things these people had to endure in terms of both personal and global tragedy are not too be denied. And the movie got that through. Another reason why overall this one here gets a thumbs-up and positive recommendation from me. With all the stuff out there in terms of historical films from Germany, it may be really difficult to make great films nowadays, films that offer something truly new, but good films are still being released on a regular basis. This is one of them. Go watch unless you are totally opposed to the genre. The acting is also good all along. Same is true for sets, costumes and pretty much all other production values.
As for the story, I already stated that the historic component is among the most crucial aspects this time. The film is set approximately 15 years after the end of World War II and Germany is divided of course. So you could say that it is a mix of GDR and Nazi Germany, even if neither component feels 100% crucial this time. It's more of a family drama, but the people at the center of this movie and their past with the lost child takes us even further back into history than the days where it is set, which is also over 60 years back in the past from the now. But while there are serious aspects about a lost child as the title implies, there are also slightly lighter moments like the protagonist's unrequited(?) romantic interest in a girl his age. And at the same time, the boy's mother also has a suitor and it is not really safe to say if her husband's death is a good or bad twist from this perspective. I mean there was no real violence or anything grave in their marriage, but it really felt as if it was just thier missing child which was the key link that kept the marriage together and the new suitor expressed actual romantic interest in the woman. Of we go back to the boy and his crush, I am a bit undecided if I liked this inclusion and how much I liked it. The attention to detail could have been better like the girl cheering for him to distract him (was that really what was on her mind?) was a bit exaggerated and felt rather unrealistic, also how the protagonist perceived it, but I guess this also could have been in the novel like this, so I would not blame the film entirely here. Their latter meeting was solid though, the way they were going for a walk there and also what they were talking felt realistic from my perspective and especially children dialogue is something that many (German) films really fail hard with, so props to the filmmaker and Treichel here for delivering authentic content.
It is certainly not the most uplifting film, but there it also felt authentic. I am mostly talking about the moment Hübner's character dies. It did not feel like pseudo drama from any perspective and this is one of the key reasons why this film deserves three stars out of five. There were still weaknesses here and there like for example the plot inclusion with the other boy at the barber shop felt fairly random and they could have made a lot more with that and their little plan, but eventually nothing really stays in the mind other than their little talk about how they think about their parents acting towards them and what it would be like with another child in the family. And the resilient barber there was slightly memorable too. The actor sure made the most of his little screen time there with his face expression only. The ending also hit the right notes. Yes, I mean it was maybe slightly too much pathos how he is 100% sure the young man would be his brother, but I liked the inclusion nonetheless. It was slightly happy, but not exaggerated and also offered an open ending component and I usually like that in films. As long as it feels realistic, I do not need closure 100%. Again props to the author of the original work because this is probably the way his book ended and I am sure there is not really the need for a sequel in terms of either book or film. It is fine the way it is. The film surely and the book I have not read, so I cannot say it with certainty, but I think it's fine to leave things the way they are in this case. One scene that stayed in the mind for me was also when we saw them in the process of delivering their footprints and also all the elaboration that followed a little later. But there, they once again did not hit the right mark 100% with the main character's doubt f these two, both of them, are really his biological parents. So there is always a bit of a "but" to this movie you could say, also in its best moments.
Overall, they went by the books here in the truest sense of the word and the outcome is accordingly. Nothing too daring or out of the ordinary, but a solid addition to the uncountable amount of movie out there from my country that deal with historic context. It's not really a historic movie, but it still feels like one with the background where it is set and inclusions like the one with how the protagonist is never fully on photos you will find in many movies. They actually felt not as smart or memorable as they were intended honestly, at least the way they were depicted here. So i think this surely could have been a better film too. Nonetheless, on other occasions, some of the stuff worked better. I personally of course preferred most of the stuff when Hübner was a part of the action. Then again, I guess that almost everybody has a different perception. Some people may like Gastdorf's character, other may find her pointless. I thought she was realistic as she was unlikable, but then again we should keep in mind that her life was packed with two World Wars, also a bit of a tragic character. This is far from a light movie. Take a look at the not very specific inclusions about what the ASoviets did to the central character's mother a few years ago. We basically find out about it the way the child does. It's not an obscene or graphic movie in terms of tragedy, but the terrible things these people had to endure in terms of both personal and global tragedy are not too be denied. And the movie got that through. Another reason why overall this one here gets a thumbs-up and positive recommendation from me. With all the stuff out there in terms of historical films from Germany, it may be really difficult to make great films nowadays, films that offer something truly new, but good films are still being released on a regular basis. This is one of them. Go watch unless you are totally opposed to the genre. The acting is also good all along. Same is true for sets, costumes and pretty much all other production values.
