`Run Lola Run' – Catch Her while You Can By Homer Yen (c) 1999
I don't know about you, but it's been at least a month since I've seen a memorable movie. And I've seen a fair number of films these past few weeks. None of them have really stuck in my mind; I can't even recall the film titles. Sure, there was the sophisticated Thomas Crown Affair and the eerie Sixth Sense. But these screen gems were released back in mid-August. For the avid moviegoer, there is a drought of good films much like the water shortage that we've been experiencing recently in the Washington DC metro area.
This week's new releases fail to offer much promise. Although I haven't seen any of them yet, the feedback for Stigmata, Stir of Echoes, and Love Stinks has been generally disappointing. Gee, what are intelligent moviegoers like us to do. Well, let me thank my best bud, Daniel, for bringing a clever foreign film to my attention. From Germany, the film is called `Run Lola Run.' It's certainly the most quenching alternative to the recent spate of dry Hollywood offerings.
The story features the rebellious looking Lola. She's a spunky girl with flame red hair who has to find a way to help Manni, her small-time, gangster boyfriend. Manni has somehow lost a bag of dirty money that was entrusted to him. If he can not make the delivery in 20 minutes, he will meet a horrible fate. Lola begins a mad sprint across town in a desperate attempt to collect the amount that he lost. The storyline is fairly simple. And that's good, since the movie is in German with English subtitles. But the film is more than the frantic marathon that Lola undertakes. The filmmaker also introduces a dimension of ‘what if' and how her actions influence not only her destiny but others as well. What if Lola took a little longer to complete her run? What if Lola made a left instead of a right? What if Lola talked to this person and instead of that person? Several scenarios are played out and we can only hope that through some miracle and random luck that Lola and Manni will live happily ever after.
While the presentation of multiple timelines is not something new (remember Sliding Doors or even the Back to the Future series), the presentation was very clever and original. The first one-third of the film is a high-octane tour de force that melds high-energy performances with MTV-chic cinematography. The feel is undeniably kinetic. Strobing images, wild camerawork, and a heavy Euro synth-pop soundtrack all lend to its youthful appeal. Meanwhile the dialogue is thoughtful so that this doesn't become a victim of style over substance. My only negative remark is that 90% of the `wow' factor occurs within the first third of the film. When you enter the final scenario (there are three of them), some of the luster begins to quickly wear thin. Alas, not even Lola can run that fast forever. As a foreign film, `Lola' will be hard to find. But catch her if you can.
Grade: B
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