Goodbye Berlin

German road movie about two teenage boys going on German roads during summer vacations. It is a simple movie but very well executed and with a great cast. It makes you want to become young and fearless again, nostalgia, nostalgia, always a powerful sentiment. In background it tackles important topics including dysfunctional families and races.

The acting in this movie isn't the best and the movie has some passages that are boring but the story is solid. (Only recommend if you read the book)

This is based on a renowned novel for young readers (which I didn't read) and was turned into a motion picture by what is arguably right now Germany's most famous director, Faith Akin. For that I thought it was a surprisingly conventional film, although one with a lot of charm. Maik is a fourteen year old with fairly average problems: To his utter bewilderment, the attention of the most beautiful girl of his class eludes him (at this age, as a boy, I can attest that you are usually after girls which are totally out of your league), his father is emotionally distant (not that in puberty you have the need for long evening walks with your dad), his mother has a problem with drink (or never being able to get enough of the stuff). Not that I would have complained to have the run of the house for two full weeks after dad had handed over a nice wad of cash to me. Maybe the scenario of the affluent, but uncaring family has kind of lost its edge over the years. I had a distinct feeling of feeling more sorry for the father who didn't get a lot of gratitude for providing a luxury villa for his family, and who had to struggle with a wife who is yoyoing back and forth to rehab, and a pubescent son.

Luckily, there are plenty of elements of "charming oddity" such as the epic, empty landscapes of the Mark Brandenburg, or the boys listening to Richard Clayderman on the stolen car's cassette player.

I think it'd be safe to say that fourteen year-old "Maik" (Tristan Göbel) is a bit of an under-performer at school. His mind is always elsewhere, not helped by his dipso mother who is frequent away for her "health" and his oblivious father. Hormones are also raging too - one of the class cuties is to celebrate her birthday shortly and he's desperate that she invite him to her party. His priorities take an unexpected turn, though, when "Tschick" (Anand Batbileg) arrives at his school. This lad quickly deals with the school smart-asses and the two form an unlikely friendship that eventually sees the new boy procure a rusty old blue Lada and them heading off on a road trip. What now ensues is all rather standard fayre, but it's still quite good fun as they both learn about themselves and each other whilst encountering a little lively romance on their travels with the equally adrift "Isa" (Mercedes Muller). It's told episodically and that allows the appearance of loads of different characters, briefly, to spice up their adventure - one that doesn't really have a goal. Göbel and Batbileg work well together and the aimlessness of their journey, their scrounging and their petty mischief making reminded me occasionally of an "Herbie" movie! It's not especially original, nor is it likely to stick in your mind for long but it does tug at a few memories of when I was fourteen, had a new best friend, and the world was at my feet.

Awesome teenage adventure film. Great acting! The comedy is so warmhearted and situational that u end up wanting to like the film more.