Men to Kiss

From an impressive line up at Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival, Men to Kiss was a highly memorable film.

The storyline is cute, funny and silly whilst remaining somehow believable and real. There are some great twists and subtle turns. Full of encapsulated moments, the film explores that line between friendship and obsession- an obsession born of unfulfilled desires and unrequited passion.

Frank Christian Marx is sweet and pitiful and at the same time brave and strong as the innocent Ernst. Udo Lutz is vibrant and assured, yet vulnerable and (rightfully) insecure as the adoring boyfriend Tobi. With a talented pool of actors it's hard not to love all the major players in some part as well as the oddball characters they meet along the way.

Filmed in Berlin, Men to Kiss gives a snapshot into the lives of a group of close, quirky friends and *their* Berlin. A place for friendship, romance, unpredictable nights and unforgettable moments.

Starting from the end and skipping back in time, you invariably know where the story is going to end- but not the why and the how, which makes the last few moments of the film excruciatingly tense in a very funny way. An enjoyable, fantastical debut from Ente Kross Film, it will be interesting to see what they come up with next.

Here comes something unexpected. A German gay screwball comedy. The movie is a very enjoyable tale of friendship, relationships and the power of true love. It's a little movie with a bigger than life heart and very inspiring actors. I find myself falling in love with the lead Frank Christian Marx. An actor who I never heard before of but who's totally worth checking out. His portray of a clueless guy who has to choose between the love of his life and his female best friend is the real deal of the film. But the other performances are good as well, especially the villain is a very enjoyable woman you love to hate. A very big plus is the music which is something very different from other German movies, it sounds much more like a mix between Disney and danny elfman. I really liked it much more than I thought I would.

The first vision most people will have when debating whether or not to see Männer zum knutschen (Men to Kiss) is that the film would be more aptly titled Men who Kiss. It is easy to understand why when one considers the fact this films focus is gay lovers. I suggest that any of you who have formed this preconceived notion evict this thought from your minds immediately. This production is not about men who make out and it is entirely free of gratuitous erotica. Men to Kiss is a light-hearted, albeit absurd, comedy starring Frank Christian Marx and Udo Lutz in the lead roles. It is a German production, filmed almost entirely in Berlin, with English subtitles.

I had the opportunity to view this film at the Calgary Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival 2012 which is runs from May 24 to June 2. Producer/Actor Frank Christian Marx is taking this film on a world tour and thus far it has received critical acclaim.

Men to Kiss is about the trials and tribulations of two gay lovers, banker type Ernst (Marx) and Tobias (Lutz), prone to histrionics, who are still unsure of the strength of their relationship only have the ultimate femme fatale, Ernst's sadistic childhood friend Uta (Alexandra Starnitzky), dropped within their midst, hell-bent on splitting this couple up.

What transpires is a refreshing comedy that jumps from genre to genre throughout the film, leaving the audience never bored. It borders on the absurd, takes a helping hand from slapstick and corn, and takes generous helpings of sarcasm and sardonic humour as side dishes. Lead Frank Christian Marx also wrote the script and it is obvious that his influences are diverse and well developed. Be it a Fellini like surrealism, a Monty Pythonesque absurdity, good old fashioned Carry On slapstick, or Marx Brothers style corn, Marx and director Robert Hasfogel morphed these genres into a dramatic comedy, surprisingly, that is uniquely their own.

Early in the film, the couple's friends become aware of Uta's mad desire to break Ernst and Tobias up. What transpires is a hilarious plot to save them from Uta's clutches. Business like Ernst and flamboyantly histrionic Tobias compliment each other well playing off of one another as the serious straight fall guy and the comic who never seems to take things seriously, that is until Uta arrived on their doorstep.

This is the first gay themed film that I have viewed that does not enter into the realm of gay politics and rights. It is strictly a comedy about two lovers that just happen to be gay. If you enjoyed La Cage aux Folles, the probability is high that you will enjoy Men to Kiss. It will appeal to both straight and gay audiences alike. According to Frank Christian Marx, in Germany it is getting better reception in front of non-gay audiences.

I've been really eager to see Men to Kiss, hoping it might finally be a German comedy I could enjoy. Nope. I'm starting to think - after at least two dozen tries - that I just never will get German humor.

To me it always seems heavy-handed, loud, grossly exaggerated, totally lacking in subtlety, intelligence, gentleness, depth and warmth. It's like The Three Stooges.

So if you love The Three Stooges and can't imagine anything funnier than The Three Stooges as German gays in love, then this is the movie for you; it's not for me.

Unfortunately, it's awful in every other way too. Every character is like a cartoon character, a shallow overblown caricature of a human being, with nothing inside its hard and garish shell. The direction is cartoonish too, with an extreme close-up of someone's mugging face in nearly every shot.

There is NO credibility or chemistry in the relationship between Ernst and Tobias, which is the core of the movie. They're not even credible human beings. If I can't believe that those two love each other, or even that they're real, how can I care what happens to them? I don't.

Early in the movie I started thinking the actors and even their characters seemed very familiar, and I finally realized that many of them (actors AND their characters, and even some of the sets) were in an earlier movie called Alex and Leo, which I also hated for exactly the same reasons.

Someone named Andre Schneider wrote (and produced, and acted in) both movies, so I'm going to add his name to my surprisingly short list of people whose work I will avoid like the plague from now on.

But if you saw and loved Alex and Leo, you doubtless will love this, its apparent sequel, too. Or, as I said, if the idea of the Three Stooges as gay Germans in love sends you rolling in the floor, you must not let this gem pass you by.

Männer zum Knutschen (2012), directed by Robert Hasfogel, is a German film shown in the U.S. as "Men to Kiss." Ernst (Frank Christian Marx) is a rather serious young banker, who is in a relationship with Tobi (Udo Lutz). Tobi is a will-of-the-wisp relaxed guy who lives to obtain pleasure for himself and others.

Ernie's childhood best friend, Uta (the beautiful Alexandra Starnitzky) arrives determined to destroy the relationship. (Also, if necessary, to destroy Tobi.) The plot of the movie is the interaction among the three of them. Added to the mix are Tobi's friends--some gay, some straight. It becomes clear to everyone--except, of course, Ernst--that if the relationship is to survive, Uta must be forced to leave. Uta, however, is a tough customer, who won't leave without a struggle.

Although I enjoyed the film, there were some weak aspects to it. Uta was so impossibly evil that even Ernst would have caught on sooner rather than later. Tobi's charm appealed to Ernst in the film, but would it appeal to him in real life? Would he really want a partner-- straight or gay--who lived solely for pleasure? We have to accept that for Ernst the answer was "yes." My thought was that sooner or later Ernst would want someone who cared about art, literature, politics, gay rights--something other than the next diversion.

Still, "Men to Kiss" was a pleasant enough movie. I enjoyed it, and would recommend it, although I don't think it's worth seeking out and seeing at all costs. The film was shown at the Little Theatre as part of the excellent ImageOut--the Rochester LGBT Film & Video Festival.