Herr Lehmann
Over cinematic history, we have always been consumed by great drama. Most films have to have it; some momentous event in a person’s life that shifts the person on a journey of self-discovery, love, action and intrigue. That’s what most stories are; people determined to push themselves as far as possible to get what they want and reach their dreams.. We don’t go to the movies to watch people be us, lazily talking over a few beers or too. And then a batch of movies came out such as Mallrats and Clerks that showed the world that yes, that is exactly what we want. People like us, talking about rubbish and living as far away from hard work as humanely possible because we just don’t care.
Well, ladies and gentleman, enter the German equivalent Herr Lehmann; a wonderful comedy of life.
Based on books by Sven Regener, Herr Lehmann centres on Frank Lehmann, a bartender living in West Berlin during the 80’s. Frank lives a simple life, revolving around his friends, his bar and his fantasies. When cook Katrin comes into his live, he falls in love and soon they embark on a relationship. But as his 30th Birthday approaches, Frank finds his life disrupted by the peculiar behaviour of Katrin, the dwindling sanity of his best friend Karl and the ever mounting tension behind the Berlin Wall.
Herr Lehmann is a great film and that is mainly down to its dialogue. While the most momentous drama is the fall of the Berlin Wall, that happens towards the end. In fact, no great event happens in Franks life as such; just a serious of smaller ones that build up. What really drives Herr Lehmann is diagloue and humour. The exchanges between the characters never miss a beat and it is extremely funny because of it. A conversation over pork roast for breakfast soon leads to romance, a man who they think is a cop leads to betrayal and lots of intertwining conversations lead to random and hilarious situations. In Herr Lehmann, there is a lot of talking but that’s ok because it is fresh, unique and keeps the plot from wondering away like a drunk fool.
The acting is sublime particularly from Detlev Buck who plays Karl, Frank’s best friend. Weird, tough and pretty much a drunk, Karl is an interesting character. When his art finally gets recognition and he has an exhibition, the ever-amounting pressure causes him to slip into a depression and go insane. At the peak of his crazy, you see a man who is afraid of failure and when he snaps, it is sticks in your mind because it feels so real and so human. Buck manages to convey most of it on a lost, over tired and pained face. Frank and Karl’s relationship is one of the many highlights of Herr Lehmann.
Herr Lehmann may not be a film for everyone. There isn’t much to hook your attention onto. However, if you are a big fan of words, realistic human exchanges, quirky people who live in an underworld beneath the politics and tension, then Herr Lehmann is a great movie. From the opening scene of getting a dog drunk to the finale of the wall coming down, Herr Lehmann is an indie kooky movie that is rife with some excellent writing.
And the soundtrack is insanely good.
(Damn, I tried so hard.)
TTFN
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