Der Vorname

Never thought about to use this headline for a review but it fits absolutely perfect to the plot. And yeah, this was one of the funniest german movies i've ever seen so far.

Think about a usual family dinner with friends, cozy small talk, good dinner and some glasses of whine in relaxed atmosphere. At some point one couple offers the name of their unborn child and it's "ADOLF". Now everybody in the room is triggered, exactly like you. You can feel the moment, when the whole mood in the room is going to a complete different direction. Everything's getting a bit more aggressive but also funnier with every minute.

But no worries, this is not the complete plot, it was only the warm-up. Be prepared and listen carefully. This kind of comedy is all about the dialogues and i loved it.

Enjoy!

Cheers, Fletcher

The first temptation is to define it as provocative. For situations, humor, dialogue, clash between characters and adorable end. But it is more. It is a realistic - precise portrait of contemporary family. Eccentric ideas, secrets far to be comfortable, couple huge problems, wives and husbands - and a mother in not ordinary situation- , love and hate in large portions. A nice comedy for its smart levels.

I saw this movie during a trans-Atlantic flight. This is a German comedy-of-errors centered around a family member's desire to name their new child, "Adolph." This desire causes horror and disgust in the family, but it also exposes the very fragile bonds which exist among the family members. Who says Germans have no sense of humor? The script is witty, the repartee between antagonistic members in these families is genuinely funny, and the surprises we learn about their family secrets are unexpected but do not break the audience's necessary suspension of disbelief. It is an interesting look into German middle class life which does not always receive. Much recommended.

Witty, funny provoking - I absolutely loved this movie from the first to the last scene. I believe I've seen something similar in an Italian context, but the German version was so much better, more nuanced, more subtle and more to my taste. Although the entire movie takes place within a house and involves basically only five people, it never gets boring. The dialogue is very brisk and engaging, the acting is excellent. The topics the film raises, are interesting and are dealt in a clever and genuine manner - the choice of a child's name, the shadow Hitler still throws over German political and everyday life, the hypocrisy of feminist husbands and the difficult choices women make between career and child rearing, etc. All these difficult questions are examined without preaching, with tact, a sense of humor and empathy. Wholeheartedly recommend this movie and would be happy to find other German films of such quality.

This film managed to find the fine balance between social critique, a theme that German society is almost obsessed with, and humor. It gives the audience the sense of a theatrical drama, as most of the movie is shot between the living room and dinner table, albeit with varying camera angles, which is a challenge by itself as the audience can easily get bored if the conversation is not engaging enough, which is not the case with this film. You can have a good time without being interested in the underlying political discussion, although you would probably enjoy it more if you are interested in the reflection of German intelligentsia on the modern day impact of Nazi Germany's legacy on its society. The script is well-thought out, genuinely funny, and demonstrates that German cinema has the artistic skill to produce a high quality comedy. I highly recommend it.