Wo ist Fred?

Saw this movie tonight in our local preview sneak - i have to say i'm a German citizen and not (really NOT) fond of our native movies, specifically comedies...but this movie was fun, really fun! The story follows Fred, who is engaged and not fully accepted by his lover's son. To win his friendship he has to get him the ball of the game from the Berlin basketball teal Alba. The clue is: only handicapped persons are given the game ball. To what leads this? Fred takes a wheel chair and is faking a handicap to win the ball and with it his lover's son's respect. The movie could be described as a German Farrelly like movie, as for the jokes pointed at handicapped persons...but these jokes are not insulting, they're really funny. As is the whole movie. And the best thing is....it has Alexandra Maria Lara in it!!! To tell you something: Lara looks sinfully good in this picture, she is astonishingly beautiful. What's left to say is, that if you like to have some 90minutes of fun, watch this picture - it's the best German comedy in years (and don't mind Til Schweiger, he is not that bad either)!

A man in love will marry his girlfriend but first he has to get a signed basket ball for her wayward son - but only handicapped fans have the chance to get one. Seems like the only way to get this ball is visiting a basketball match as a handicapped ... Really equal to Hollywood productions! One gag after another, finest slapstick, no sensitive humor but crashing gags the entire movie. Jürgen Vogel and Til Schweiger at it's best! Alexandra Maria Lara plays the "emotional" part - absolutely lovely! And Christof Maria Herbst has been the best handicapped nasty person at all!! And about piety of handicapped people - no gag at the expenses of disabled people! We've got a severely disabled child and have been amused and laughing during the whole movie!

Absolutely recommendable!!

As has been said before, German citizens don't always think too much of German comedy films. Too often these are VERY obvious, blatant, superficial etc. - you name it. Seems we have a different culture here, if you compare to films like Dumb and Dumber, Jay and Silent Bob, Jim Carey stuff etc. you will find that in Germany this kind of film is more or less restricted to the age 12 to 16 where you will want to laugh and not think about plot lines, stringency of characters and story etc. So, let's leave aside a number of flaws in the plot and some not very credible twists. Sitting in the cinema, this film actually makes you roll of your chair a couple of times and has some really good gags - most of them drawing on ridiculous situations and confrontations. Although handicapped persons play quite a role (sometimes wondered, which were actors and which actually handicapped ..) they are neither being made fun of, nor exploited. Rather, some concern for their situation is raised. The thing that saves this film is the actors. Alexandra Maria Lara is more beautiful than ever and will make male viewers shrink in their seats in awe. Christoph Maria Herbst (Maria btw. can be a male or female second name in German) offers a wild and extremely convincing role as a wheelchair-confined basket ball fan (stay on for the snippet that comes up after the first credits at the end of the film!). Including one of the best dialogues I have seen acted in a long time: Herbst, having hurt himself badly is pensively picking a glass splinter from his shoulder when Denise asks 'are you hurt?' and he replies matter-of-factedly 'how come you ask?' not even looking at her. Till Schweiger has been bashed quite a bit in Germany - which seems 'normal' with any actor having too much success. Jealousy, I'd say. It can be said, that he is not too much of a character actor and mostly 'sells' his good looks. In this film he actually does offer a fair performance. Playing the grumbly guy with a bad conscience fits him well. I've never heard of neither the director nor the script author, but maybe we will be seeing some new quality work in German cinema soon?