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RUN LOLA RUN (LOLA RENNT) In German w/English subtitles *** out of **** stars =============================
DIRECTED BY: Tom Tykwer STARRING: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Nina Petri WRITTEN BY: Tom Tykwer RATED: R for sex, violence, and profanity SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: 2 Thessalonians 1:11, 1 Thessalonians 1:7, Titus 2:6-8
What we have here is a simple matter of style over substance. RUN LOLA RUN, a 1998 German film which is beginning to make its way across the US, playing in art houses and film festivals, does not have much of a story but what it has, it tells very well.
Writer/director Tom Tykwer (WINTER SLEEPER) has taken a basic plot line, multiplied it by three, added a techno-rock musical score and used many inventive camera techniques to keep us riveted to the story (even though, as I've said, there's not much of a story there.)
It all begins when Lola gets a phone call from her boyfriend, Manni. Engaged in some shady drug deal, he finds himself owing 100,000 marks to a man who would just as soon kill him as sneeze in his direction. If Manni doesn't come up with the money in 20 minutes, he's a dead man. And with that piece of information, Lola is off and running.
Dashing through the streets of Berlin, trying to think up a way to get that kind of money that quickly, she rushes past people and events almost without acknowledging their existence.
20 minutes later we see the outcome of her mad run and the results of the decisions she made along the way. The ending may disappoint many in the audience but there's no need for despair. The movie is a long way from over.
Just like that, we're back at the phone call that began it all and once again, Lola is off and running. This time however, a slight delay in the beginning results in some major differences down the road. As we have heard elsewhere, timing is everything. Lola is forced to make decisions she didn't have to make in the "first run" because she arrived at various places a few seconds earlier or later. Again, we play the story out to its conclusion to find out what happens when the 20 minute deadline expires.
Still not happy with the outcome? Let us go back to the phone and again, Lola will take off running. And once again, slight changes early on in the run have a major impact in the end result. Clearly, the point being made is that our lives consist of millions of such minuscule moments which add to the overall course of our lives. For the third time, we take the story all the way to its ultimate conclusion.
What makes the movie work is the stylistic approach of Mr. Tykwer. He uses many camera tricks to heighten the enjoyment of the film. Split screen, stop action, slo-mo, animation mixed with live action...he includes it all. There is no getting bored with Mr. Tykwer at the helm of the film.
The music by Reinhold Heil is techno rock at its best: pounding bass, rhythmic beat, and all. During each run, there is no slowdown in the action. The urgency of the situation is pressed upon all we see. However, in between each run are short segments with a calmer, more intimate Lola and Manni, engaging in the silly and endearing pillow talk of a couple obviously in love.
Franka Potente (AM I BEAUTIFUL?) is Lola, hair dyed an unnaturally red color (which takes on the look of flames streaming off her head as she runs full blast through the streets of Berlin.) With a scream that could (and does) shatter glass, Lola is truly a memorable character.
One of the themes that runs throughout the film is the impact our lives have with others even though we may only slightly interact with them. Whether we are aware of it or not, we leave a mark wherever we go. Whether that mark is a good one, inspiring and encouraging to others, or a negative one, harmful and detrimental to others, is entirely up to us and the way we conduct our lives.
God commands us to behave ourselves worthy of His calling, as His ambassadors on this earth. The impression we make should remind others of the glory and goodness of God. Lola and Manni are not God's representatives, nor do they present themselves as such. But they do illustrate how one life can affect many others. If they leave negative impacts, we can leave positive ones. All it takes is an awareness and a willingness to live for God and the fortitude to do it.
Michael Elliott August, 1999 http://www.christiancritic.com
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