"Romeo und Jutta" is a German television film from 2009, so this one had its tenth anniversary last year in 2019 and depending on when you read this review, these 1.5 hours can maybe still be sonciderably older. Director is Jörg Grünler, now in hid mid70s and retired, and he started working in the industry back in the early 1970s and I think it is kinda sad to see that he ended his career with something like "Liebe am Fjord", bit at least here he still came up with a pretty decent with the end of his career not being too far away. This is mostly thanks to the script by Wolfgang Limmer from Bavaria and although he is only minimally younger than his director here, he is still working now. I think, at least. He has a 2019 credit. Still it looks as if what he is doing in the final years of his career is not any better than what Grünler did. Pretty sad, even if I would say that Grünler's career was a bit better overall. Okay, now to this one. I don't think I have to tell anybody that the title here is linked to Romeo and Juliet obviously, in a playful manner, so there is romance in here, but nothing too serious. The love story between the two protagonists you see on the poster is one at the center of the film nonetheless, but it is at least as much (if not more) about the political context here. 3rd October is approaching again, a national holiday in my country, so of course here we have a GDR-themed film. I will get to the story later on. Let me say a few words about the two lead actors first, of course the ones you see on the photo here. Maybe I should say "one lead actor" instead though because this film is Wolfgang Stumph from beginning to end and he is the heart and soul of the film and also the reason in my opinion why this worked pretty well at times, despite the script not always being top-notch gently-speaking. It's kinda fitting he is in here because his career went off right after the Fall of the Berlin Wall with Go Trabi Go, still considered a classic by many today. he was already in his mid40s back then, so really a late bloomer. Very unusual and which may also explain why he still has udner 40 projects in his body of work despite being in his mid70s now already. But he is so good in this movie here that I wanna see other stuff he did for sure. I am pretty sure with 99% of other actors I would have liked this one less. He nailed all the dramatic and funny parts, always walks the fine line very convincingly. Big thumbs-up from me for him here and a bit shameful that he did not receive any awards recognition. Maybe the subject was not serious enough for many. I don't know. But I take it anytime over pseudo drama like you see it so often in other German television films. Okay, we have pseudo drama here as well and especially in the second half and the longer the film goes, it feels exaggerated and not too authentic perhaps, but Stumph still makes it work somehow. The one on the left you see here on the poster is of course Katja Riemann, one of Germany's most known actresses. Undeservedly so I would say. Never saw much in here. Here she is alright though, holds her own next to Stumph alright, but also does not have the material to ruin the film as she has done with other projects in the past. She also always has a tendency to play the exact same character in every film and she does so here too. Nothing stands out, but, like I said, I am glad she does not sink the ship already, even if I am not too happy Stumph's character is so crazy about her. Admittedly, the other big potential love interest is not really any better. With the romance there, especially in the second half, we get the usual ARD/MDR/Theaterkunst approach again that the male needs to blindly follow the female. Don't like it. As for the rest of the cast, Hennicke is always easy to appreciate and recognize, even if you do not really remember the name always, and Simon and Richter may also feel familiar to German film buffs, but the movie is 80% Stumph, 19% Riemann and 1% the rest, so almost insignificant.
Okay, as for the plot, I have seen many GDR-themed movies and many have failed with their shot at humor feeling really try-hard and with their depiction of drama never feeling really tense, let alone emotional. This film does a good job all in all, never really great as the plot is alright, but not a revelation, but looking at how poor, bad even, small screen releases almost always are here in my country, I take it for sure. The story of a guy who tricks women into marrying him and then steals all their money is one we have seen before, but they used nice exaggerations here for the most part. Like how they acted as if all hese women still loved him in the end and would not send him to jail despite what he did because they thought he only loved them. Before he runs into the one he loves. But he needs to fight whales for her affection. I also liked that his lies came out pretty quickly and the film took a totally unexpected turn eventually. It's not about big pseudo drama with the revelation happening ten minutes before the end and then Riemann's character realizing she loves him nonetheless as we would have seen it in many Regina Ziegler and Degeto films. Instead, the script feels downright creative at times. It's sometimes not always hit, but also miss, like in the second half with what the main character does there. I already mentioned that. But I still take it. Ten times better than playing it safe or so. Also remember when all women fell for guys with staches? Me neither, but those were the days apparently. Haha. Okay, stuff like quotes about plums were a bit uncomfortable to listen to, but they still felt authentic. I mean those were after all the bad guys who were talking like that. And the over-the-top moments like the guy lying about being a professor in Sweden or how he accidentally has an affair with an important GDR politician's partner very early on (that results in his discovery) are certainly not too realistic, but entertaining enough. I think the film makes a good job from this perspective. Also how she indeed shows up at his grave in the end when he is there the same exact moment, again chances are small, but honestly I felt for him there and hoped she would take him back. But a bit playing hard to get is always included I suppose. Pity. Then again, it fits Riemann's character. Or how he runs into her randomly after she seemed gone (once again) earlier. Okay, I think this is all now. Been a while since I handed a thumbs-up and positive recommendation to a German small screen release, but this one deserves it I would say, already for Stumph's convincing performance. I am sure this will also be on television on many occasions in the next decades, probably preferrably around 3rd October like this year, so if you are from my country and in the mood for an underseen film about the GDR, spies etc., then go for this one. You won't regret it I hope. And until then, you can maybe watch Tom Schillings take on East German romeo agents instead. I will do so as well at some point in the future. Okay, drifting away, so it's time to end this review. Final words: See this one. I liked it, also because of the nice attention to detail like when the two meet for the first time and he says after the accident he is alright and she is about to leave right away, he acts immediately afterwards as if he is suffering instead. And who knows, maybe the lengthy Minesterialrat story in the second half will also grow on me on rewatch. Perhaps gonna see this one again at some point and saying that means a lot because I barely never say it about a German TV films. There are smart inclusions that feel memorable like the song that is sung between the male protagonist and the guy who can be considered closest to the top antagonist, even if he does not have a lot of screen time, on two very different occasions. Alright, enough now. Go experience it yourself! It's certainly an unusual film for German television, also with how this film spans over a really long period of time.
Okay, as for the plot, I have seen many GDR-themed movies and many have failed with their shot at humor feeling really try-hard and with their depiction of drama never feeling really tense, let alone emotional. This film does a good job all in all, never really great as the plot is alright, but not a revelation, but looking at how poor, bad even, small screen releases almost always are here in my country, I take it for sure. The story of a guy who tricks women into marrying him and then steals all their money is one we have seen before, but they used nice exaggerations here for the most part. Like how they acted as if all hese women still loved him in the end and would not send him to jail despite what he did because they thought he only loved them. Before he runs into the one he loves. But he needs to fight whales for her affection. I also liked that his lies came out pretty quickly and the film took a totally unexpected turn eventually. It's not about big pseudo drama with the revelation happening ten minutes before the end and then Riemann's character realizing she loves him nonetheless as we would have seen it in many Regina Ziegler and Degeto films. Instead, the script feels downright creative at times. It's sometimes not always hit, but also miss, like in the second half with what the main character does there. I already mentioned that. But I still take it. Ten times better than playing it safe or so. Also remember when all women fell for guys with staches? Me neither, but those were the days apparently. Haha. Okay, stuff like quotes about plums were a bit uncomfortable to listen to, but they still felt authentic. I mean those were after all the bad guys who were talking like that. And the over-the-top moments like the guy lying about being a professor in Sweden or how he accidentally has an affair with an important GDR politician's partner very early on (that results in his discovery) are certainly not too realistic, but entertaining enough. I think the film makes a good job from this perspective. Also how she indeed shows up at his grave in the end when he is there the same exact moment, again chances are small, but honestly I felt for him there and hoped she would take him back. But a bit playing hard to get is always included I suppose. Pity. Then again, it fits Riemann's character. Or how he runs into her randomly after she seemed gone (once again) earlier. Okay, I think this is all now. Been a while since I handed a thumbs-up and positive recommendation to a German small screen release, but this one deserves it I would say, already for Stumph's convincing performance. I am sure this will also be on television on many occasions in the next decades, probably preferrably around 3rd October like this year, so if you are from my country and in the mood for an underseen film about the GDR, spies etc., then go for this one. You won't regret it I hope. And until then, you can maybe watch Tom Schillings take on East German romeo agents instead. I will do so as well at some point in the future. Okay, drifting away, so it's time to end this review. Final words: See this one. I liked it, also because of the nice attention to detail like when the two meet for the first time and he says after the accident he is alright and she is about to leave right away, he acts immediately afterwards as if he is suffering instead. And who knows, maybe the lengthy Minesterialrat story in the second half will also grow on me on rewatch. Perhaps gonna see this one again at some point and saying that means a lot because I barely never say it about a German TV films. There are smart inclusions that feel memorable like the song that is sung between the male protagonist and the guy who can be considered closest to the top antagonist, even if he does not have a lot of screen time, on two very different occasions. Alright, enough now. Go experience it yourself! It's certainly an unusual film for German television, also with how this film spans over a really long period of time.
