Run Lola Run

Starring: Franka Potente, Mortiz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Nina Petri, Armin Rodhe, Joachim Krol
Directed by: Tom Tykwer
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Thriller
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: After her boyfriend frantically calls her, Lola (Frank Potente) has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks, or her boyfriend will likely be killed.

Review:

Tim: I've seen Run Lola Run twice now, and my feelings about the film remained the same (even though about two decades passed between viewings). I know this film is a cult classic and absolutely has a big following. I'm not quite sure why. Oh sure, Tom Tykwer directs a good movie- absolutely. Some parts of the film are memorable. But is this a special film? Is there something really remarkable about it? I'm skeptical of that claim. This is a good film, but never much more than that.

The film hasn't quite aged well- it leans into that 1990s approach, MTV-inspired of being frantic, manic, fast cuts, trying to create a sense of urgency. It's a bit nauseating at times and unnecessary. I don't fault the film too much for that, because it's definitely a hallmark of the era. In hurts the film in some ways, but it helps in others. If you can say one thing about Tykwer's film, it moves. This is a nice extension of the premise- the movie is basically Lola running, trying desperately to come up with a lot money in basically no time at all. The film is a tight 1 hour, 20 minutes and it's pushing forward that entire time. I give Tykwer credit for managing to do some solid character development, when the main character spends the entire film in a major rush. I definitely see how this German film would have felt unique upon release.

One of the challenges I had with this film is that I found all the characters eminently unlikable. Lola is the best character, but she makes bad choices throughout the film. Manni seems like a stupid, not-good guy, so it's hard to feel much suspense about whether he lived or died. The film gives us a surprising look at the people around Lola, but none of them seem like characters worth rooting for. Side note- this is one of the highlights of the film, getting these little peeks into the surrounding characters and what their life might have been like after the encounter with Lola. That's unique, super cool, and perhaps the biggest highlight of the film for me. Tykwer was definitely innovating with that aspect of the movie. But the characters themselves- Lola, Manni, Lola's father and his mistress- none of them are great, none of them really feel like they're worth our time. I felt no emotional connection to anyone in this film, which pulls the quality down. I do wish I had more investment in Lola, or any of the characters.

One of the other innovations is that the story is told several times. This is a unique twist on the tale. Now, this move did save the production money and it makes a small movie feel even smaller- we see the same small story three separate times, but small changes occur to the events. This is where the film truly leans into its experimental aspects. Through this, Tykwer explores some deeper themes- how much of our lives are determined by fate, verses how much free will do we have? What role does chance play in our lives? It's interesting to see the same events three times, but small changes have this massive ripple effect on many different people. I'm not sure I always bought how these changes occurred. It's so fascinating to consider the butterfly effect, but it does feel like the film pushes this to the extreme in some places. I do believe small things can result in big changes, but some of what's presented here felt exceptionally unlikely. Still, it's one of the best aspects of this film and something we're not used to seeing on screen. Again, Tykwer deserves immense credit for that angle to his film.

Franke Potente is certainly the strongest cast member. Her performance is fierce and not easy- as I've said, she spends a surprising amount of the film running. She does show a wide range of emotion and is the most memorable cast member. Moritz Bleibteu was fine as Manni, but I've already said how he didn't endear the character to me. The rest of the cast felt fine, solid all around, but more unremarkable than you'd like.

So, two decades apart, I've watched Run Lola Run and my initial assessment still feels accurate. Sure, it's a good movie- absolutely. It has some brilliant innovations, but it's short on emotion and enough depth. I see why people might be fans, but it's a film I believe is somewhat overrated- it's good, but never more than that. Style, yes, but it needed more substance.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Matrix, Sliding Doors