Männer zum Knutschen

I just loved this little German movie. It's cute, funny and has one of the best villains I ever experienced in a movie. You will love to hate Uta, the woman who tries to destroy the relationship of Earnest. He and Uta have been best friends since childhood and Earnest's new boyfriend Tobias is in her way to get the man of her dreams. The movie has a really good and honest lead performance from Frank Christian Marx as Earnest but it's Alexandra Starnitzky who steals the show here. The character of Udo Lutz as Tobias is a little over the top. But in one scene (you will know) he's hilarious. And the chemistry between the three actors is pretty intensive.

From an impressive line up at Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival, Men to Kiss was a highly memorable film.

The storyline is cute, funny and silly whilst remaining somehow believable and real. There are some great twists and subtle turns. Full of encapsulated moments, the film explores that line between friendship and obsession- an obsession born of unfulfilled desires and unrequited passion.

Frank Christian Marx is sweet and pitiful and at the same time brave and strong as the innocent Ernst. Udo Lutz is vibrant and assured, yet vulnerable and (rightfully) insecure as the adoring boyfriend Tobi. With a talented pool of actors it's hard not to love all the major players in some part as well as the oddball characters they meet along the way.

Filmed in Berlin, Men to Kiss gives a snapshot into the lives of a group of close, quirky friends and *their* Berlin. A place for friendship, romance, unpredictable nights and unforgettable moments.

Starting from the end and skipping back in time, you invariably know where the story is going to end- but not the why and the how, which makes the last few moments of the film excruciatingly tense in a very funny way. An enjoyable, fantastical debut from Ente Kross Film, it will be interesting to see what they come up with next.

'Men to Kiss' is a heartfelt comedy with two main characters I could watch all day long. They both are quirky, relatable, and lovable in their own way. And I was impressed with how professional this movie was produced. As a German who watches German TV regularly, this film was far above what one would expect on German TV, and I can see how it won international awards.

Even though one might have been able to guess how the film ends - like in most romantic comedies - 'Men to Kiss' offered some astounding elements and scenes all throughout the film, which spiced up the whole story.

The orchestra music underlined the whole film in a very coherent way and made some scenes even more emotional. It also showed the dedication and passion the filmmakers put into the production.

Overall, I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with the main actors, and I would recommend this film to anyone who wants to have a heart filled with love after watching this charming comedy.

I've been really eager to see Men to Kiss, hoping it might finally be a German comedy I could enjoy. Nope. I'm starting to think - after at least two dozen tries - that I just never will get German humor.

To me it always seems heavy-handed, loud, grossly exaggerated, totally lacking in subtlety, intelligence, gentleness, depth and warmth. It's like The Three Stooges.

So if you love The Three Stooges and can't imagine anything funnier than The Three Stooges as German gays in love, then this is the movie for you; it's not for me.

Unfortunately, it's awful in every other way too. Every character is like a cartoon character, a shallow overblown caricature of a human being, with nothing inside its hard and garish shell. The direction is cartoonish too, with an extreme close-up of someone's mugging face in nearly every shot.

There is NO credibility or chemistry in the relationship between Ernst and Tobias, which is the core of the movie. They're not even credible human beings. If I can't believe that those two love each other, or even that they're real, how can I care what happens to them? I don't.

Early in the movie I started thinking the actors and even their characters seemed very familiar, and I finally realized that many of them (actors AND their characters, and even some of the sets) were in an earlier movie called Alex and Leo, which I also hated for exactly the same reasons.

Someone named Andre Schneider wrote (and produced, and acted in) both movies, so I'm going to add his name to my surprisingly short list of people whose work I will avoid like the plague from now on.

But if you saw and loved Alex and Leo, you doubtless will love this, its apparent sequel, too. Or, as I said, if the idea of the Three Stooges as gay Germans in love sends you rolling in the floor, you must not let this gem pass you by.

This Film manages to be entertaining and funny even for People who are not Gay. It has this seemingly "light" quality, which is hard to achieve. The characters are believable, the story is fast paced, but not too much. I really love whats going in in the faces: the little mimics. All actors are professional and loving to the very detail. The camera is amazing and the music underlines the scenes perfectly. The film deals with the ever present theme, but love is there in so many facets: Men, women, and the glorious City of Berlin. The film shows, that even with a low budget, one can create a little wonder, a fairy tale, something beautiful- it is a present we all need sometimes.