Love Steaks

How much realness do you need? Seems some festivals deemed this had more than enough. And to be clear the central performances of the two lead actors is amazing - especially the female one in this. The male part is played by someone well known for his quirkiness - at least in roles. If he's completely different in real life, than kudos to him.

The movie overall has won a lot of prizes as imdb is stating, which is a little bit surprising ... at least to me. Can't be the script really, considering this plays a lot like an improvised experiment with some pillars set to give actors orientation. Feels like they're doing most, if not all of the work in that department. Which comes through in things being repeated and work place being ... well let's just say far removed from German efficiency ... or what people would imagine that to be. A lot of silliness going around and a strange love connection occurs ... an unlikely one some may say, but opposites attract so I would argue the opposite ... no pun intended.

If you are into German independent movies that are ... weird to say the least, this may be quite the experience for you. Everyone else be wary of what you let yourself into. This is not an easy watch. Some sensuality and sexuality included (with a bit of nudity)

We can't learn anything about the characters. There are two people who are constantly walking on the beach and fighting. The acting is the best thing in the movie. But I would love to learn more about the characters. Even the constant fighting of the characters in this short film becomes repetitive after a while.

The boredom story of two people, Women is alcoholic and Men is Looser. Till the ending they never gave resolution about their problems other than Finally fighting like Psychos and Kissing.

Do not waste your time....

Love Steaks finds the timid and awkward Clemens (Franz Rogowski) starting a new job as a massage therapist and reiki trainee at a luxury hotel in a German-speaking country. While he learns the ropes amid the stringent attitude of the hotel, Lara (Lana Cooper), a blonde host mess who works in the kitchens, takes pulls of the cooking wine with the other cooks and participates in devil-may-care hijinks that earns her several talkings-to from her superior chef. Once the kitchen discovers Clemens and begins to pick on him, Lara begins to crush on him amid her alcoholism, and when he finds her passed out on a beach and massages her gluts, the two initiate a clandestine but reckless romance. Lara's wildfire personality and Clemens' calm yet unsure demeanor culminate in some charming, cutesy scenes ensconced in the depressive atmosphere of the hotel, with polished production that underpins the sterile and authoritarian nature of their work residency. As Clemens pushes Lara to overcome her alcoholism, though, it adds onto the pressure she feels from the hotel authorities and her fellow cooks (who make fun of her and Clemens' cleft palate scars and appearance), fermenting instability. Rogowski exhibits fine acting with a naturally distinctive way of speaking, and drives his character home. Although the film ends in a somewhat unexpected upheaval, Love Steaks relies too heavily on the characterization of the two protagonists in their environment, and the narrative aspect comes to a bit of an unsatisfying standstill, seemingly unfinished. It's not a stinker by any means, but it left me wanting more.

This should have been an easy movie to like: coworkers discover romance while fighting their personal demons. And it feels weird and wrong to cry, "Too much realism!" But that was the problem, for me. Sous-chef Lara is a likeable person, when she isn't drinking. When she drinks, I'm reminded why I avoid alcoholics and other addicts like the plague - they're just unbearable to be around... and to watch. The acting was so good I couldn't stand it, on a par with Ben Gazzara in "Tales of Ordinary Madness" (Italy/France, 1981). And it doesn't help that she works with a bunch of only nominally adult jackasses in a kitchen where the noise never ceases.

Masseur Clemens is portrayed annoyingly well, too. When his #HimToo moment occurs, he reacts with neither extreme of "hot diggety" nor "get the hell out until you can behave". Instead, he dithers, uncertain and insecure. And he continues to dither through much of the movie, although who can blame him when the object of his affection is a boozehound? The resulting plot is just a little too real-time, like a novel that hasn't had its first edit.

It's difficult to enjoy a romance movie when you don't feel much affinity or affection for the characters. Building that affinity would require prologue, I think. It's not a bad film, but it could be better.