Change Your Image
Leon Labbé
Reviews
Liegen lernen (2003)
about a man growing up
The movie begins in the Berlin of the nineties, but it goes back to a deeper past: the eighties. For all those who have lived through this decade, it´s a journey back in time. A journey that seems quite realistic due to the excellent equipping of the movie.
The story is about a young man growing up, about his learning to love.
But this takes its time... In the beginning he is a romantic lover, only interested in his true love, Britta. When she splits with him, he grows cynical,learns to use women for his his sexual satisfaction. By chance he meets Britta again and sees how she has changed. In this moment he loses a dream, but he is not yet ready to realise it.
He gets bored with his changing relationships and decides to look for a woman he might grow old with. Luck has it he finds her soon, but still he is not able to really love her. When she wants to have children with him, he simply runs away, goes to Berlin, and meets Britta again. Instinctively, he does the right thing: he "kills" his dream...
At this moment we´re not only back at the beginning of the movie but at the start of his new life.
Personally, I think it was nice to see, how the story is pushed forward, to see the moments of insight that decide about his personal development. The acting is fine and if you can identify with the main character, you really get caught.
Comment of a female viewer: "It was nice to see a movie, in which men have feelings." That´s the point: the main character doesnot show his feelings to the people around him, but they are clear to the audience.
For all those who are old enough to have lived through the eighties and are interested in seeing how a young man becomes what he is, this movie is highly recommended.
9 out 10.
The Perfect Storm (2000)
The Perfect Bore
Half of an hour of preliminary skirmishing, one and a half hour of boat-shaking. Characterization is as much as we are cool fishermen and caring wives and mothers. The plot is predictable, for example: two of the crew don´t like each other, one goes overboard, now guess who is the one to save him. The rest of the plot is also very surprising. So what ? Besides, Cloney and Wahlberg could do with a haircut and a shave.
Karakter (1997)
Walking out the cinema, still caught by what you have just seen...
... that does not happen too often. But this movie is able to catch you. The story, a whodunnit at first sight, but in the end a story of a family, but not one you dream of. The way the lifes of father and son come across through the years, in surprising ways sometimes. The actors are impressive and well cast, just the sort you do not forget quickly. The locations are well chosen, give the movie its atmosphere. I would not know what to criticize, so it´s recommended to everybody, but not really middle of the road.
I Kina spiser de hunde (1999)
Pulp Fiction, Danish edition
Of course, it´s not Pulp Fiction, but it reminds pretty much of it. In the center of interest is Arvid, a bank clerk with a boring life. He becomes involved into a robbery and succeeds at knocking the robber down. Driven by the desire to give the robber the money and to get him out of jail, things start to get complicated for him. I know his motifs sound absurd, and this is exactly what they are. As well, the story takes its course and one casuality follows the last one, and there are plenty in the end. The characters are very laconic, and that is what makes them funny. In the end, Arvid has changed completely, killing his ennerving ex-girl-friend, but he manages nevertheless to get to heaven... Recommended to everybody with a knack for black humour and senseless stories.