-Directed by: Tom Tykwer
-Written by: Tom Tykwer
-Director of Photography: Frank Griebe
-Cast: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup and Nina Petri
-Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta1Sn6MtC9w
A low-budget German film, Run Lola Run, or Lola Rennt in its country of origin, is a rollercoaster ride from the first frame to the last, and it really has no right to be as fun as it is. At 84 minutes with then-unknown actors and a plot that centers on a flame-haired girl racing to find 100,000 German dollars (is that lazy research? Sure. Can you deal with it? You’re going to have to) to save her criminal boyfriend, it doesn’t really beg to be seen if all you’ve read is the back-sleeve synopsis. In other words, it’s a perfect candidate for the Pub’s ‘Special of the Week’.
In a Nutshell
The movie opens with Lola (Franka Potente, the love interest in the Bourne Identity and Supremacy), a young, free-spirited European (aren’t they all?), that receives a frantic phone call from her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), who she was meant to drive and pick up after a deal; a plan thwarted by a pesky mo-ped thief and his blasted dog (there’s no dog). Forced to ride the subway, Manni is chased off the tram by two profiling po-po and leaves the bag with the 100,000 Deutschmarks (I felt guilty…you’re welcome) in the trusted hands of a bum, who’s kind enough to steal it. Manni is 20 minutes away from the meeting deadline with his handler and seriously considering holding up a grocery store, but Lola, in their apartment conveniently on the opposite side of the city, promises she’ll be there with the cash if Manni agrees he’ll stay in the phone booth until noon. She sprints through Berlin in a 20 minute real-time sequence, bumping into acquaintances and influencing their day (the progression of which is shown through a rapid slideshow of grainy, black and white pictures) while hunting for a way to raise the dough. Love means making tough decisions, and this 20 minute segment replays 3 times to cover the various choices the superhuman-like Lola can pick to finish her errand; like a videogame player restarting a level. But for every “what if…”, the butterfly effect takes its toll: each path reflects a new fate for the people she runs into along the way.
Solidness
This film relies 100% on the novelty of its plot device and the visuals that service it, so the highest compliment I can pay it is the simple fact that the style can’t be compared to any one movie from any one genre. The flashback-driven, puzzle-like narrative resembles Memento, the energetic cinematography tracking an adrenaline-fueled footrace is Crank-like, and the charmingly zany, dream-like European surrealism is akin to Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s films (Amelie, Delicatessen). They are all jumbled together into an action/comedy/romance/art house indie-thing that plays like a Euro-techno music video or arcade game, including an animated clip that bridges each subsequent ‘replay’ with the last. Short story shorter, the direction will have you drenched in sweat by the end (in a good way), as if you’d just run Lola’s half-marathon by her side. There isn’t a single frame that isn’t experimenting with a unique technique or where the camera is sitting idle, which is as it should be for a simple-plotted film relying on technical, eye-candy cinematography and structural ingenuity to inject its dose of awesomeness. Tom Tykwer clearly wrote this screenplay to match his flair, and the man’s done it. This speck of a movie managed to get my blood pumping faster than any of Michael Bay’s explosion-helicopter-girl in bikini-explosion formula flicks combined. Unlike the $100 mil+ studio toy-sellers that squash the chances of a wide release for films like this, the blood, sweat and tears of Run Lola Run’s guerrilla filmmaking roots are tangible on screen, whereas in blockbusters it's usually ink on a paycheck.
Franka Potente’s performance doesn’t redefine the art, but the runtime (hehe) rests on her shoulders and she is always a joy to watch. Hopefully this isn’t a spoiler, but she does a lot of running, and even when sprinting her face displays a lover’s desperate determination to protect her counterpart. She also uses a blood-curdling, glass-shattering scream as a method of persuasion, and it’s kinda hilarious in a gratuitous sort of way. Likewise, Moritz Bleibtreu’s job is to look impatient and nervous, but in a few flashbacks of the two cuddling both he and Franka have a playful, dare I say, uh, cute chemistry (yep, regret it). Herbert Knaup plays Lola’s estranged father, a bank owner, and gives the most mature portrayal in the film, as he is conflicted whether to rescue and reunite with his daughter or abandon his family for a mistress from the board of directors (Nina Petri).
The techno soundtrack suits the movie perfectly, so there isn’t much else to say. It just works. Don’t dig techno? Well, um…sorry.
What Went Wrong?
Not knowing what to expect, I was a little thrown that they restarted each new path of fate from her starting point in the apartment and recycled identical shots, but when you realize this was done to add contrast to the consequences when her actions cause a deviance, it gels with the vibe. However, viewers too impatient to consider Tykwer’s message about the butterfly effect might find the strategy to be lazy, repetitive and unfulfilling, as the character arcs, on the surface, appear to be erased with each new beginning.
The black and white slideshow “fate vision” that happens when Lola brushes against a passerby also seems cheap and out-of-place until the second play-through, where the purpose is revealed and humorous tone is fully embraced. Basically, the negatives disappear if the audience has an open-mind.
Bottom Line
An experimental foreign film worth checking out if only for the aesthetics used to relate Lola's mile-a-minute footwork and state of mind. It was a pleasant surprise, and it ranks as one of the most creative, energetic, and plain fun action movies available. Run Lola Run is an example of style over substance (at its best), so it might not connect with everyone, but at less than 90 minutes there are riskier stakes.
As always, discussion is welcome. What did you think?
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