Not My Day (2014) User Reviews

Slapstick but enjoyable

[MovieSonic · 6/10 · 24 January 2015]

The film had some fairly great elements like interesting characters and a relatable plot but I thought that the nervous breakdown/mid-life crisis should have been toned down a bit.

I liked the opening flash forward because it gives you an idea of where the film is heading and means you pay attention to the character development. I liked that the main character (Axel Stein) had flaws and behaved like ordinary men his age. I also liked the co-lead Moritz Bleibtreu as I've seen him in a number of films and he's always great.

The gist of the plot is that Till (Axel) is not happy with how his life has ended up and he feels frustrated. His marriage isn't going so well and after an unforgettable encounter with Nappo (Moritz) he starts to let loose. Crazy events ensue and things unfold pretty much how you might expect.

I did enjoy the film and it has a lot of good points such as the interesting camera techniques employed to give us a unique perspective during the crazy night in Amsterdam, a fair few laughs and great acting. However, Till became extraordinarily annoying part way through the film, to the point where I became physically angry! I felt that he and Nappo needed more opportunities to bond because it didn't fit that Nappo's character would warm to him so easily. A few guitar jams didn't seem believable to change Nappo into the kind of person who did what he did during the film. I also felt that the film would have benefited from more interaction between Till and his wife or flashbacks showing how they met and why they fell in love in the first place.

It's a good time filler and perfect for German-language learners but it could have been a lot better.

6/10

Bad Day or not?

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 3 September 2014]

The movie didn't start very appealing for me (skipping to a scene later in the movie to keep some tension or to tell us where it is about to go). The character introductions seemed OK, but not really something I thought I'd be get too excited about. But once it gets going (after 15 minutes I reckon), it really never lets up. Yes you can call this a road movie if you want to.

Axel Stein is known in Germany for his comedy skills rather than his acting skills. That might change with this movie. It's an action comedy, so he still kind of stays in known territory, but the way he plays it is exceptional. Even more amazing that he wasn't the first choice on this (which is discussed on the audio commentary of the movie). Another surprising thing (at least for me): Jasmin Gerat was really good in this movie. Even in a movie I really liked ("Mann tut was man kann") I thought she was the weak link, but in this she really cherishes.

While I still haven't seen "Bang Boom Bang" (but a movie he did in between), I like the way the director takes this. For some it might feel too long or they might be annoyed by the characters, but if you let yourself get into the journey with them, you will have a lot of fun (and some suspense)

Not my movie

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 3 February 2016]

"Nicht mein Tag" or "Not My Day" is a German 110-minute film from 2 years ago. It was written and directed by Peter Thorwarth, who is mostly known for being the writer of "Die Welle", but also a handful other famous German films from the last decades. The lead actor here is Axel Stein, pretty much the German equivalent to Jonah Hill, and I must say I am a bit baffled he was cast here. He was really famous many years ago, but his popularity has decreased a lot since then, so I am quite surprised that he was chosen as lead actor for such a prominent film. His co-lead here is Moritz Bleibtreu and he is clearly superior to Stein in terms of acting, which is painfully obvious pretty much from start to finish. Female protagonists are the mediocre Jasmin Gerat and Anna0 Maria Mühe, who is a pretty great actress, but has absolutely no material to work with here.

The novel that this film is based on was written by Ralf Husmann, the main driving force between the extraordinary German television show "Stromberg" and with his talent I wish he would have written the script himself here. I cannot imagines that he is happy with the outcome. Anyway, another major struggle I had with this movie is (the lack of) realism. We have a man taken hostage by a bank robber and lets be honest, there are no redeeming qualities about Bleibtreu's character here. Yet the bank employee and the robber become best friends within hours? I don't think so. And this is just the worst example from a handful scenes that were cringeworthy in terms of authenticity.

In the end, "Nicht mein Tag" is just another very forgettable film with a very bad script and a weak lead actor that goes for hullabaloo instead of telling a convincing story. I maybe could have tolerated it if the comedy would have been funny throughout the entire film, but it definitely wasn't, which is maybe the biggest disappointment about it. 4 stars out of 10 is still a pretty generous score. I do not recommend the watch.

Don't look at this as a comedy

[yoggwork · 5/10 · 20 February 2019]

Speaking too fast and German, I have a headache. Both actors performed well. Working for a long time, we can also feel the impatience of doing the same thing for many years. If we encounter the opportunity to be so unrestrained, we can expect to promote social harmony. Don't look at this as a comedy, because there's no joke at all.