Der Vorname

No pun intended - this is just the first step for a downspiral ... and a movie that is quite talky. And maybe a testament that Germans can be funny - just kidding, no wait they can be. But also, this movie is based on a French movie - which I have not watched yet. I did not know this existed until after I watched this - I only had heard that this was supposed to be good (and it is) ... so original movie and sequel to this one are on my list now.

Really well played and nice twists, with relationships being strained and truths being dragged into the ... light (or whatever you would call it yourself). The characters like to tease each other (especially one of them) ... not knowing what avalanche is coming from one ... not so innocent joke ... which goes to show you: be kind to each other ... don't be mean - it might come and bite you ...

The premise for the film is the conflict that naming your child "Adolf" could cause in your family. That alone would not be enough to sustain a full feature film, and indeed this is only a starting point.

A whole host of family secrets are unraveled in the process, how they think about one another, what they have done in the past and present. It is like throwing a burning match into the store of a gunpowder fabric and making damn sure it stays alight. The result pushes their relations in way one might otherwise see in a Luis Bunuel film, just staying one step short of surrealism.

There are small hints here and there that this is French (rather than German) in its origin, and it may have been better (with a German cast) to adapt these subtle cultural differences to place this in a pure German setting.

Anyway, this is very entertaining for its witty dialogue. The after-the-party events that concluded the piece seemed unnecessary.

Really enjoyed it. It has a brilliant menu of fun for a perfect movienight you won't forget!!

This film managed to find the fine balance between social critique, a theme that German society is almost obsessed with, and humor. It gives the audience the sense of a theatrical drama, as most of the movie is shot between the living room and dinner table, albeit with varying camera angles, which is a challenge by itself as the audience can easily get bored if the conversation is not engaging enough, which is not the case with this film. You can have a good time without being interested in the underlying political discussion, although you would probably enjoy it more if you are interested in the reflection of German intelligentsia on the modern day impact of Nazi Germany's legacy on its society. The script is well-thought out, genuinely funny, and demonstrates that German cinema has the artistic skill to produce a high quality comedy. I highly recommend it.

Never thought about to use this headline for a review but it fits absolutely perfect to the plot. And yeah, this was one of the funniest german movies i've ever seen so far.

Think about a usual family dinner with friends, cozy small talk, good dinner and some glasses of whine in relaxed atmosphere. At some point one couple offers the name of their unborn child and it's "ADOLF". Now everybody in the room is triggered, exactly like you. You can feel the moment, when the whole mood in the room is going to a complete different direction. Everything's getting a bit more aggressive but also funnier with every minute.

But no worries, this is not the complete plot, it was only the warm-up. Be prepared and listen carefully. This kind of comedy is all about the dialogues and i loved it.

Enjoy!

Cheers, Fletcher