"Schlaflos" shows that a good film can be made with little money. The movie takes the normal situation of a girl breaking up with her boyfriend and exaggerates it. We learn how Ben (played by Max Simonischek) tries to deal with this situation: he decides to start smoking, to drive into the night and to never sleep again. Fortunately, he meets the musician Peter (Stefan Murr) on the way, who tries to cheer him up. He has also lost someone dear and understands Ben's problem. The movie shows how both of them deal with their problems and help each other. "Schlaflos" is a movie about lost love and music and features some very interesting and well written characters. It plays with the expectations of the audience, sometimes answering them, sometimes not. Peter and Ben are quite interesting characters, especially because they are so different (at least at the first glimpse). Still, I have to agree with the other members that Ben is too much "Mr. Everybody", here there would still have been some room for improvement. But apart from that, I can only say that I really liked the movie. 8/10
4 Reviews
Beautiful little film about love, music and proper resolutions in life
sobes-16 February 2007
I saw this film at it's German premiere in Munich and was quite positively surprised.
Ben is getting dumped by his girlfriend per video message and starts with some interesting plans for his future: He will start to smoke, he will never sleep again (that's what the title Schlaflos refers to) and he will keep on driving far, far away. Until he meets Peter of course whose love to music and good will nature might bring him back on a more healthy path in life.
Schlaflos tells an interesting little story about life, love and music. And especially music, the love for it and it's ability to change your life plays a really big part in it and therefore the film is crammed with a lot of good and well produced songs from some upcoming Austrian bands.
I liked the musician Peter quite a lot who has some of the best lines in the film, which is filled with some warm humored dialog with quite some references to modern day pop culture and even (as it plays in Salzburg) The Sound of Music. Kudos especially to one of the greatest McDonalds fan speeches ever and that drunken guy at the bar telephone. I'm still not exactly sure about leading role Ben as he is just a bit to much Mr. Everybody for me to really be engaging for me.
The film works quite well in it's 40 odd minute runtime. It's never boring and neither does it feel rushed at any point.
It's technically well produced with good sound and lighting. The only thing here that's really disturbing might be Peter, when he's singing. Not that is voice is bad or so, the problem is that you will instantly hear that it's not his own. That said, I have to say again that the song's that he's singing are pretty damn good, with or without the right singing voice.
OK, let's come to an end. If you have the chance to see this uplifting film anywhere then give it a try, otherwise you might just start smoking and drive into the endless night.
Ben is getting dumped by his girlfriend per video message and starts with some interesting plans for his future: He will start to smoke, he will never sleep again (that's what the title Schlaflos refers to) and he will keep on driving far, far away. Until he meets Peter of course whose love to music and good will nature might bring him back on a more healthy path in life.
Schlaflos tells an interesting little story about life, love and music. And especially music, the love for it and it's ability to change your life plays a really big part in it and therefore the film is crammed with a lot of good and well produced songs from some upcoming Austrian bands.
I liked the musician Peter quite a lot who has some of the best lines in the film, which is filled with some warm humored dialog with quite some references to modern day pop culture and even (as it plays in Salzburg) The Sound of Music. Kudos especially to one of the greatest McDonalds fan speeches ever and that drunken guy at the bar telephone. I'm still not exactly sure about leading role Ben as he is just a bit to much Mr. Everybody for me to really be engaging for me.
The film works quite well in it's 40 odd minute runtime. It's never boring and neither does it feel rushed at any point.
It's technically well produced with good sound and lighting. The only thing here that's really disturbing might be Peter, when he's singing. Not that is voice is bad or so, the problem is that you will instantly hear that it's not his own. That said, I have to say again that the song's that he's singing are pretty damn good, with or without the right singing voice.
OK, let's come to an end. If you have the chance to see this uplifting film anywhere then give it a try, otherwise you might just start smoking and drive into the endless night.
a sensitive and gripping film about loss and new hope
Zombie-mower22 July 2007
At last I had the possibility to watch this movie. And actually I enjoyed the 40 minutes of its running time.
The most gripping feature of this short film was in my case the original idea. As I have myself lately experienced a broken friendship with the girl of my life, I was very touched by the movie's theme. And director / writer Genzel treated the subject with lots of sensitiveness.
One can really feel Ben's pain when he gets the message of the terminated relationship which was sent him on a videotape (as this is how the movie starts). Later in the movie we get to know that bringing a message by videotape is widely regarded to be much personal than writing an email or a letter. Ben sets about to overcome the deep loss and depression he is dropped into. And here Genzel puts in some really clever plot points. For example when Ben meets the lonely traveling singer Peter Engel (which is an apparent reference to "the helping hand" or "your best friend in misery" as his name is translated with angel)and they not only talk about the importance of music but also about Peter's own miserably emerging relationship and how he dealt with it.
In a further scene Ben gets to know a father with his daughter traveling from America to Salzburg (I think it's not a coincidence that the mother stayed at home, 'cause the family is now not united and therefore looking for completion which Ben can give, if only just for some moments). And on this occasion Ben is again confronted with the possibilities of a camera - which can actually transport some really warm and personal messages.
What I strongly missed in "schlaflos" was a solid leading part. Ben, alias Maximillian Simonischek, was not really convincing as a person who is faced with an emotional dead end and appears to be often not engaged enough in his role. He also has lots of problems to show emotions and it is sometimes not that surprising that his girlfriend does miss some diversification in their relation. He is also very hard to identify with. All the more outstanding was Stefan Murr alias Peter Engel. He performed so naturally and effortlessly that one had to love his character. He reminded me very much of Paul Hogan's part in "Almost an Angel" (kind of a coincidence that Peter's name can be seen as a reference not only to his function as "the helping hand" but also to Paul Hogan's great debut in John Cornell's film from 1990).
All in all "schlaflos" is a great narrative film about a very personal subject all of us can identify with (altough not necessarily with the leading actor). And that's why this movie gets straight in one's heart.
For a short film it's a very solid achievement. 6/10
The most gripping feature of this short film was in my case the original idea. As I have myself lately experienced a broken friendship with the girl of my life, I was very touched by the movie's theme. And director / writer Genzel treated the subject with lots of sensitiveness.
One can really feel Ben's pain when he gets the message of the terminated relationship which was sent him on a videotape (as this is how the movie starts). Later in the movie we get to know that bringing a message by videotape is widely regarded to be much personal than writing an email or a letter. Ben sets about to overcome the deep loss and depression he is dropped into. And here Genzel puts in some really clever plot points. For example when Ben meets the lonely traveling singer Peter Engel (which is an apparent reference to "the helping hand" or "your best friend in misery" as his name is translated with angel)and they not only talk about the importance of music but also about Peter's own miserably emerging relationship and how he dealt with it.
In a further scene Ben gets to know a father with his daughter traveling from America to Salzburg (I think it's not a coincidence that the mother stayed at home, 'cause the family is now not united and therefore looking for completion which Ben can give, if only just for some moments). And on this occasion Ben is again confronted with the possibilities of a camera - which can actually transport some really warm and personal messages.
What I strongly missed in "schlaflos" was a solid leading part. Ben, alias Maximillian Simonischek, was not really convincing as a person who is faced with an emotional dead end and appears to be often not engaged enough in his role. He also has lots of problems to show emotions and it is sometimes not that surprising that his girlfriend does miss some diversification in their relation. He is also very hard to identify with. All the more outstanding was Stefan Murr alias Peter Engel. He performed so naturally and effortlessly that one had to love his character. He reminded me very much of Paul Hogan's part in "Almost an Angel" (kind of a coincidence that Peter's name can be seen as a reference not only to his function as "the helping hand" but also to Paul Hogan's great debut in John Cornell's film from 1990).
All in all "schlaflos" is a great narrative film about a very personal subject all of us can identify with (altough not necessarily with the leading actor). And that's why this movie gets straight in one's heart.
For a short film it's a very solid achievement. 6/10
A fine little piece of film-making
chh-prod15 December 2006
Schlaflos is a real example of excellent low-budget-film-making. Having had the privilege to contribute to this project myself, I have to say, we really got our money's worth out of our work! The very low-key story of a guy (Ben played by Max Simonischek) who tries to get away from his own feelings is properly set in the city of Salzburg in wintertime. But where the weather is cold and icy, the heart becomes warm to the sound of growing friendship. The protagonists meet each other at a fast-food restaurant, but they really get to know each other in a little club, where Bens newfound friend Peter (Stefan Murr) plays his most heartfelt love song for the very first time. Thank you for this piece of film, and thank you for the positive energy and for the hope it brings to the small mishaps in life!
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