Before you write Lola Rennt off as just another obscure German film, go to see it. It's brilliant. It is a good version of Sliding Doors without Gwyneth Paltrow, thankfully, and with lots of attitude. Eighty minutes of brilliantly shot and gripping, to use a cliche, action has Lola (Franka Potente) and boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtrau) fighting against time: twenty minutes to be exact.
It is eleven-forty a.m. and Manni, involved in some dodgy deal, has to turn over 100.000 deutschmarks at twelve o'clock sharp to Ronni the gangster, a rather formidable chap who would kill someone for stealing a bottle of beer from him. We are shown three versions of this episode in the life of Lola, beginning with a phonecall. Each version has a seemingly insignificant twist in the action which results in a significantly different outcome to events.
Lola runs through all three stories at top speed, passing small human dramas which filter for a second through her vision like a succession of projector slides, these too illustrating the pattern of cause and effect that governs human existence. The result is a film that explores the chaotic nature of interlocking incident without pretention and with considerable depth.
Visually the film has the dynamism of a rock video and the breathless movement of street-level existence. The exciting photography uses obscure angles and some striking arial shots of Lola running and, combined with the trainspottingesque beat, the effect is both absorbing and exhilarating. The running sequences are reminiscent of Verve's pop video Bitter Sweet Symphony where the lead singer barges down a crowded street while singing, walking over cars and performing other daring pursuits.
Run Lola Run is not the length of a normal film, leaving barely enough time to wolf down a bucket of popcorn, but it merits double the time and leaves you wanting much more. Probably the most original action film for years, this is a must-see.
It is eleven-forty a.m. and Manni, involved in some dodgy deal, has to turn over 100.000 deutschmarks at twelve o'clock sharp to Ronni the gangster, a rather formidable chap who would kill someone for stealing a bottle of beer from him. We are shown three versions of this episode in the life of Lola, beginning with a phonecall. Each version has a seemingly insignificant twist in the action which results in a significantly different outcome to events.
Lola runs through all three stories at top speed, passing small human dramas which filter for a second through her vision like a succession of projector slides, these too illustrating the pattern of cause and effect that governs human existence. The result is a film that explores the chaotic nature of interlocking incident without pretention and with considerable depth.
Visually the film has the dynamism of a rock video and the breathless movement of street-level existence. The exciting photography uses obscure angles and some striking arial shots of Lola running and, combined with the trainspottingesque beat, the effect is both absorbing and exhilarating. The running sequences are reminiscent of Verve's pop video Bitter Sweet Symphony where the lead singer barges down a crowded street while singing, walking over cars and performing other daring pursuits.
Run Lola Run is not the length of a normal film, leaving barely enough time to wolf down a bucket of popcorn, but it merits double the time and leaves you wanting much more. Probably the most original action film for years, this is a must-see.