Em Julho

I saw this movie at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival 2001, where it won the audience favorite prize. Its competitors where among other excellent films "Love is a bitch", "Girl on the bridge", "Girl of your dreams", "Her eyes", "Mifunes song".

The movie is a sort of feel-good road movie through the Balkans. There is lots of action, flirting with fate, and going through hell to find the one you love.

It's cinematography is beautiful, and this is truly a very good movie!

8/10

(pls if you know how I can get this movie, please mail me)

It's been a long time since I've seen a film so unabashedly emotional. It often crosses the line to kitsch (thus getting a little embarrassing sometimes), but that doesn't matter because the whole thing is just so overwhelmingly likeable that I saw it twice in a row. A perfect feel-good-movie for the summer holidays. There are so many great scenes: Daniel and Juli getting stoned and singing "Blue Moon", Luna (played incredibly sexy by Branka Katic) laughing crazily during the chase through Budapest or the photos of Romania (who took those when both Daniel and Juli are in the picture?)

But you better don't scrutinize the logic too closely and while the dialogue also could have been more inspired and witty (as in Fatih Akin's first film "Kurz und schmerzlos"), "Im Juli" more than makes up for it with great characters, inventive cinematography (especially in the hallucinating scenes), a wonderful soundtrack and the rarely seen locations of SouthEastEurope. Makes you want to drive to Istanbul right away. See this film (even if you're a jaded cynic)! I gave it 9/10.

This sunny German film was a complete surprise. In fact, it's one of the best things that we have seen from that country in a while, which proves that when a talent like Mr. Akin is at the helm, one must rush to see whatever he decides to present for us.

In fact, the beginning of the film is kind of disorienting. We are thinking one way, and suddenly we are taken back to another time and another situation involving Daniel. We saw him in the lonely road where Isa happens to be taking on his way home to Turkey. Right after he has been left behind, we meet him again in different circumstances as he is teaching math to a group of inattentive students who are preparing for their summer vacations.

Daniel, after meeting Juli, buys a Mayan sun ring that she promises will let him meet a woman who will have a ring to match his, that same night, and that woman will be his true love. When sees the lovely and exotic Melek, who is wearing a tee shirt with what appears to be another Mayan sun, he believes the prophesy has come true. Melek, who is traveling to Turkey tells him about how she is going to wait under a bridge for the man who is destined for her. Daniel is so taken with this beautiful creature that he decides to follow her all the way to Istanbul. The only problem is that in taking to the road, Daniel discovers himself and gets to meet his true love at the end.

The film is made more enjoyable by Mortiz Bleibtreu's work in it. This young actor has a face that registers all the emotions running through him at the time. He makes the movie work because of his intelligent approach to the role. Equally charismatic is Christiana Paul, who plays Juli. Lovely Idil Uner is seen as Melek and Mehmet Kurtulus is Isa and Branke Katic plays Luna.

The film is a road movie that shows some beautiful European countryside and byways as the trip progresses from Germany to its end in Istanbul. Mr. Akin has directed with great panache as he involves us, the viewers, into this fun trip.

I´ve seen this movie yesterday on its opening day. I loved it! Moritz Bleibtreu (one of my favorite german actors) plays Daniel, a young secondary school teacher in Hamburg. A young girl called Juli (Christiane Paul) falls in love with him. She tries to give him a sign, but he don´t recognize it. On the same day, he meets a young turkish girl called Melek (magic:Idil Üner), who is on the way to Istanbul. Daniel falls in love with her. He wants to follow and see her again. But as he leaves Hamburg with his car, he picks up Juli as a hitchiker. A chaotic trip through southern Europe begins...

A romantic road movie with young and talented actors. Watch it!!!

Wow. What a great film. It's very continental and the plot never seems to fade away or go "Off Topic". Im not a huge fan of German Films, but this ladies and Gentlemen is a masterpiece coming from Hamburg. If only more films like these were made and more exploited. It displays a range of scenic views such as Bavaria, Istanbul, Budapest & Romania. Great cinematopgrahy, acting and story line.

9 out of 10.