Les bouffons

I've just seen "Absolute Giganten" aka Gigantics yesterday. And I was stoked. A beautiful portrait of Hamburg and its silent heroes. Thank god Schipper didn't use any St.Pauli-cliches to make this movie even more "Hamburgish". I especially like the mixture of melancholy and a certain "live your life"-attitude. Absolute Giganten is the story of a night that is so ordinary and because of that so honestly that you're going to enjoy every minute of it. The three main characters are doing a great job especially Florian Lukas as Ricco. The table soccer scene is awesome shot. But my favorite scene is the one at this Elvis' stunt show place when Ricco shouts "Da geht einiges!". You need more good reasons to watch Absolute Giganten? There you go: German rapper Marcnesium from "5 Sterne Deluxe" has a cameo as "Rastaman". After the film you should stay in your seats because right in the middle of the end credits "Das Bo" is announcing the title track of the film following his announcement: "Wer hätte das gedacht" from Falkadelic (Doppelkopf), Das Bo (5 Sterne) & Ferris MC aka Fertich MC aka Marilyn Mongo.

At its beginning, Gigantic (English title) seems a fun story of three friends united by their shared interest in girls, cars, and avoiding the responsibilities "the future"will invariably bring. By its end, Gigantic has become one of the most moving and charming films about the ties that bind that I've seen in recent years.

Hamburg, complete with its drab industrial foreshores and sometimes uninviting urban decay, is the setting for Gigantic and is as much as character as the three friends Lloyd, Walter and Rocco. It's no surprise, once we've trawled past the faceless apartment blocks and rusting waterfront sheds, that Lloyd wants out. What is a surprise is that he springs his news on his great friends with no time to prepare them for the shock. He leaves tomorrow, at sunrise.

In spite of their anger, and fear, Walter and Rocco go along with Lloyd's desire to have one great final night together. It begins fervently, excitingly, but as events go awry and daylight slowly inches over the horizon, the crushing reality of what is to follow sets in for the trio, who along the way also pick up their next door neighbour, the gorgeous but self destructive Tesla.

Debut director/writer Sebastian Schipper knows the value of understatement. Instead of stuffing his screenplay full of worthy but dull ruminations on the meaning and importance of friendships, he lets his characters do the talking for him. Boldly, Schipper uses a single, funereal piece of music over and over to signify moments of emotional crisis for his characters. The move is risky but pays dividends - Lloyd, Walter and Rocco don't have to say much to get across what they are really feeling. It's also a testament to the abilities of the actors playing these parts that you feel greatly for their pasts, presents, and especially futures.

The finale of Gigantic is heartbreaking, and deliberately ambiguous. Not only is it the perfect conclusion to the chaotic night before it, which is in itself a metaphor for the inherent turmoil of close friendships, it is enough to make you want to go out and phone every friend you haven't spoken to in years to find out how they are doing. Few films have the ability to move and entertain as well as say something about the pain and joy of simply being alive and knowing other people. Gigantic is one of them. It's a masterpiece.

When I first saw "Absolute Giganten" it instantly became my favourite. I just love this movie. It is wonderfully sad but at the same time it seems to keep a certain happiness that just moves you and makes you feel glad to be alive. Sebastian Schipper has made a beautiful but also very real film with wonderful actors and great music by The Notwist. Directors of the world do me a favour and give me more films like this one!

As Floyd' s probation has expired he's going to leave Hamburg the next day to see the world. So there's only one night left for him to say farewell to his best friends Ricco and Walter. The movie depicts the funny and sad adventures of the trio during that last night involving an argument with some die-hard Elvis fans, the most nerve-racking table-football match in film history and way too much alcohol.

The whole thing is so beautiful in a bittersweet way that you wish the film would go on forever. You want to see more about Ricco's family, about the barflies at Horst's and especially about Telsa, the girl next door (who is played incredibly cute and vulnerable by Julia Hummer in her film debut). But if a film is too short it's always a compliment, not a fault.

Sebastian Schipper in *his* debut as a director really knew what he was doing, although (or because?) he sometimes doesn't play by the established rules. For example he uses refreshingly little dialogue for a german film and he even lets it go on for a few more minutes after the last words have

been said, telling the end just with images. And those images are brilliant since the director of photography was Frank Griebe ("Lola rennt"). IMO the movie gets 9 out of 10.

schipper has shown incredible diversity as a budding actor in many of tom tykwer's eclectic and nuanced german films. also had a minor, yet unforgettable, role in anthony minghella's 'the english patient', in the interrogation scene with willem dafoe. 'absolute giganten' marks his brave and confident debut, with superior directional and editing skills. definitely a new german director to keep a watch out for.