Run Lola Run (“Lola rennt”)
Directed by Tom Twyker
Written by Tom Twyker
1998/Germany
X-Filme Creative Pool/Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)/Arte
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
#972 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
IMDb users say 7.8/10; I say 6/10
[box] Manni: What happened to you? Did you run here?[/box]
I really don’t like this feature-length music video.
A gangster entrusted Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu) to courier 100,000 marks for him as a “test”. Manni accidentally leaves the bag with the cash on a train. He will be killed if he cannot produce the money in 20 minutes. He calls to his girlfriend Lola (Frankie Parent) for help and tells her that if she isn’t there in 20 minutes he is going to rob a supermarket. She races to his side.
The scenario of Lola’s run and efforts to get the money is repeated three times, each time with a slightly different beginning and very different results. The segments illustrate the earth-shaking concept of cause and effect. The film plays out in animation, black-and-white (flashbacks), color video (actions taking place out of Lola’s direct knowledge) and color 35 mm (Lola’s viewpoint) at an absolutely frenetic pace.
I tried giving this movie another chance and it didn’t improve for me. I find its “point” painfully obvious and simplistic and its components juvenile. I listened to the director’s commentary and one of the things he’s proudest of is that the soundtrack produced a hit single. I’ve seen the montage made as a music video for the single and it works perfectly.
Trailer
