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Lola rennt, a review by goodguy

Lola rennt (DE 1998, AKA Run Lola Run) Written & Directed by: Tom Tykwer Starring: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu DVD: R2-UK Columbia TriStar (2000) My rating:

Cover Blurb: Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), who works as a small-time courier for a big-time gangster, is in huge trouble. He has accidentally left the cash from a mob deal on the subway, and he has only twenty minutes to deliver the 100,000 marks to his unforgiving boss. Desperate, he calls his girlfriend, Lola (Franka Potente), the only person who can rescue him form certain death.
As the seconds tick away and the tiniest choices become life altering, Lola must try to reach Manni before the line between fate and fortune begins to blur. One story told from three different perspectives, Run Lola Run is a veritable maze of intriguing plot twists and heart-stopping suspense in a high-octane thrill ride about one woman's desperate attempt to save her lover.review, I decided to round up. Frankly, Jon's reaction surprised me, because "Run Lola Run" bridges the gap between experimental arthouse cinema and mainstream with a postmodernist approach that is not entirely unlike the early movies of Tarantino. Of course, Tykwer is less violent, a little more philosophical, a lot more puristic, and his hommages (which are actually just little nods) to other movies show a better taste.

Now, is RLR the best video game adaptation without being based on any actual game, a cross between "Groundhog Day", Godard's "Breathless" and "Wonder Woman", a philosophical meditation on fate and chance, or a portrait of the reunited Berlin, completely in flux?

Well, it is all that and probably more, but while the movie certainly isn't without depth, it also works on a strict surface level as a fantasy of wish fulfillment that is pure Hollywood. Add to that an iconic female lead, true love that conquers all and a few thriller elements, and you are in for a fun ride.

Right from the start, the prolog ironically alternates between both choices. T. S. Elliot versus Sepp Herberger, a narrator waxing philosophically only to be dismissed by more football platitudes from a guy in uniform.

The plot and the backstory are given in the initial phone conversation between Lola and Manni that gets more and more hysterical until Lola's first glass-shattering scream. Then it's mission time for Lola. 20 minutes to get the money from her banker dad and to get to Manni before he robs a supermarket. Game on and Lola runs through Berlin to frantic techno music with spoken lyrics, Anne-Clark-style. If at first you don't succeed, repeat. Three times.

That's pretty much all that happens. There is no narrative ballast, no character motivations, no further explanations, only encounters and exchanges, although the repetitions cleverly interlock, expand and, of course, change the happenings until the final outcome is achieved. That minimalist narrative is of course what makes RLR interesting, because while it keeps the basic framework of an escapist mainstream fantasy, it throws away all the exchangeable fillings.

Tykwer uses different techniques and even different film materials to organize his story. Lola and Manni are shot on normal 35mm film, the flashbacks of Manni's initial backstory are in black and white, any scenes not involving those two are shot on video. As Lola runs into various people on her mission, a sequence of photographs shows flash-forwards to their future as generated by the ripple effect of Lola's actions. There is animation, there are split screens, an almost codified use of colors, dazzling camera moves that create a hyperkinetic visual style. The pacing and editing is flawless and the rhythm precise with ironic counterpoints and full stops, such as the sudden soap opera of Lola's dad and his mistress in the bank office.

Each segment starts with the same scene Lola leaving the apartment (and her distracted mother). Then it turns into a cartoon of Lola running down a staircase and passing a guy with a dog on the way. That's her first obstacle and the first difference between the segments, with a strong hint how the segment will play out. The song lyrics do so as well. In the first run, she is determined, but she just passively reacts. In the second run she fights head-on, with no regards for herself or the people around her. In the third run she becomes completely in tune with what is happening around her, causing her to succeed.

The final ending cannot be anything than a happy one, albeit again with a slightly ironic touch. Also, if you didn't pay attention to the bank security guard, you might have missed something.

I'm glad Jon caused me to rewatch this; I had almost forgotten why I liked Tykwer once. I also posted a few remarks directly in response to Jon's review.

And for a Berlin film that is the complete antithesis to RLR, I recommend Maria Speth's "In den Tag hinein" (AKA The Days Between).


(From goodguy's Watch Log on July 19th, 2010)

Change of Heart, a review by addicted2dvd

Change of Heart (1998/United States) IMDb | Fisher Klingenstein Films, TGG Direct Director: Arvin Brown Writing: Aaron Mendelsohn (Writer) Length: 91 min. Rating: NR Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: None

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Stars:
Jean Smart as Elaine Marshall
John Terry as Dr. Jim Marshall
Gretchen Corbett as Gail Stern
Phillip Geoffrey Hough as Jesse Marshall
Shawna Waldron as Sarah Marshall
Dorian Harewood as Dr. Lewis Franklin

Plot:
Beneath Jim Marshall's (John Terry) veneer as the all-American father and husband lies a long suppressed desire that is about to ruin his idyllic family. When Elaine Marshall (Jean Smart) catches her husband and his lover in a hotel room, her anger quickly turns to shock as she discovers that Jim's paramour is a young man. What ensues is painful soul-searching for Jim, Elaine, and their family.

Extras:

• No Extras What So Ever

This is the final move out of the 3 movie set I had to watch. Unfortunately it is also my least favorite out of the three. Not that it was a bad movie. I did still enjoy it. Just that I liked the other two a little more. But this one is still worth the time put in to watch it. Another TV movie (all in this set are)... so keep that in mind if you don't normally like TV Movies. There was no cast members in this one that I was all that familiar with. So that could be part of the reason I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the others in this set. Having familiar faces from series I watch has always been a plus for me with TV Movies.

Of the three movies in this set I liked from favorite to least favorite... The Truth About Jane (Favorite)... Her Desperate Choice...and then Change of Heart (Least Favorite).



(From What Movies I Been Watching on September 15th, 2013)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

Highway to Heaven
Jonathan Smith isn't your average helpful handyman. He's an angel with a mission from God, or "the Boss" as he likes to call him. Accompanied by ex-cop Mark Gordon, whose troubled life Jonathan once helped turn around, he travels the world, guiding the lost and suffering back toward the HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN.

Whether helping a young boxer pressured to throw a fight or a veteran's Eurasian daughter feel welcome in America, Jonathan finds a way to bring a little grace and love into the lives of those he touches. And when necessary, he helps things along with a little angel power.

Starring Michael Landon and Victor French, all 24 uplifting episodes from the first season of this family favorite are now available on DVD for the first time.

Highway to Heaven (Part 1)
Working as the new handyman at a retirement home, Jonathon brings pep and vigor into the dreary lives of its residents. However, a nurse's brother, Mark Gordon, doesn't trust the newcomer.

Highway to Heaven (Part 2)
With the retirement home on the verge of ruin, Jonathon reveals his true identity to Mark. It will take some heavenly high jinks to save the day.

My Thoughts:
Another show that I used to always enjoy back in the day.  A kind series... and this show is my favorite work of Micheal Landon's. Yes I always preferred this over Little House on the Prairie. The 2 part pilot is a very good introduction to the 2 main characters of the series. Not only is this a warm and touching drama... it also offers some laughs. One of my favorite scenes in the pilot is where Jonathon (the angel) sees Mark (his soon to be friend) getting beat up in the alley behind the bar. When he runs over to help.... he gets a right cross. Of course it don't effect him... he just looks at the guy and smiles. So then he is hit with a left cross. And to this his reaction is to pick the guy up into the air... look him in the face and say "I turned the other cheek"... and then throws him far across the alley.  So yes... this series does have some fun in it as well. Unfortunately I only have the first season at this point... but I would love to get some more season sets of this show.

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on February 5th, 2010)